Women’s Justice
Ending council tax imprisonment
End Council Tax Imprisonment Poverty is Not a Crime As hard as it is to believe, between 2010 and 2017, nearly 700 people were sent to prison for not paying their council tax. Many have not defaulted on their debt voluntarily – they found themselves unable to pay due to a lack of resources. APPEAL…
Read MoreTV Licensing must stop prosecuting people in genuine hardship
TV Licensing must stop prosecuting people in genuine hardship Josiane, a woman supported by APPEAL, handing in our 250k strong petition to John Whittingdale, Minister in the Department for Culture Media and Sport, along with her local MP Stephen Metcalfe. As energy prices skyrocket and poverty is on the rise, it has never been…
Read MorePoverty is not a crime: ending imprisonment for debt
Poverty is not a crime: ending imprisonment for debt Did you know that you can end up in prison for owing council tax or for not paying the TV licence fines? Shocking but true. Furthermore, the criminalisation of debt is an issue that disproportionately affects women. In 2020, 75 per cent of all prosecutions for…
Read MoreSubmission on Sentencing Council “Imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline”
Submission to Sentencing Council Imposition of community and custodial sentences guideline APPEAL /// february 2023 The Women’s Justice Initiative supports the Sentencing Council’s proposal to introduce a new section on female offenders, but stresses the often causative relationship between women’s offending and the domestic abuse including coercive control they experience. Download this report as…
Read MoreSubmission to Sentencing Council “Miscellaneous amendments to sentencing guidelines”
Submission to Sentencing Council “Miscellaneous amendments to sentencing guidelines” APPEAL /// November 2023 The Women’s Justice Initiative provides our views on the Sentencing Council’s proposals to amend different sentencing guidelines, including relating to coercive control in manslaughter cases and pregnant defendants. Download this report as a PDF Download Defend our juries Defend our juries…
Read MoreBBC publishes report into why 75% of prosecutions for non-payment of the TV Licence fee are against women
BBC publishes report into why 75% of prosecutions for non-payment of the TV Licence fee are against women Press release – 11 May 2023 – APPEAL and Leigh Day On 11 May, the BBC published the findings of its review which was designed to understand why there is a significant gender disparity in the way that it prosecutes people who…
Read More“A deeply stressful experience”: a woman who brought a sex discrimination claim against the BBC is awarded settlement damages.
“A deeply stressful experience”: a woman who brought a sex discrimination claim against the BBC is awarded settlement damages. Press release – 16 January 2023 – APPEAL and Leigh Day The BBC has agreed to pay thousands in compensation to a lone parent who believes she was discriminated against when she was prosecuted by TV…
Read MoreTV Licensing must stop prosecuting people in financial hardship during the cost-of-living crisis, says a growing group of more than 175,000
TV Licensing must stop prosecuting people in financial hardship during the cost-of-living crisis, says a growing group of more than 175,000 Press release – APPEAL and Silver Voices A woman unfairly prosecuted for not paying her TV License has gathered strong public support this week for her campaign to end the prosecution of…
Read MoreBriefing: Poverty is not a Crime
Briefing: Poverty is not a Crime APPEAL’s view on why the government must urgently de-criminalise the non-payment of the TV Licence fee – a low-level offence that disproportionately impacts women and those on low-incomes. Read the full briefing by downloading here Download Defend our juries Defend our juries APPEAL strongly opposes government proposals to reduce…
Read MoreA step backwards for women’s rights as the Court of Appeal refuses the appeal of an abuse survivor.
A step backwards for women’s rights as the Court of Appeal refuses the appeal of an abuse survivor. Jenny’ supporters at APPEAL stand with her outside the Court of Appeal. Credit: APPEAL Today’s decision sends a clear message to survivors of domestic violence who have been coerced into silence: the criminal justice system will not…
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