There are estimated to be 1000 North Korean refugees living in the UK – that is an incredibly small number. But now the Government has confirmed that Britain will now automatically ship away the small number of North Koreans whom manage to escape from one of the world’s most oppressive regimes and make it to the UK. For North Koreans who do not have any information about the outside world when they escape the country, an option to choose another country to settle in should be guaranteed. A recent court ruling that means Britain regards all North Koreans as South Korean citizens and is likely to refuse them asylum. These people face amazing obstacles in order to escape the brutal regime, including famine (the arduous march), disease, forced labour camps, torture, reprisals on their families including the death penalty (North Korea has a guilt by association policy) and slavery both in North Korea and in China. For those that do cross the Tumen River into China thinking this to be their salvation they then find themselves sold into a life of slavery on the black market or hunted down by North Korean agents and the Chinese authorities to be forcibly repatriated to North Korea where death or starvation awaits. These people risk so much to escape such a ruthless regime in North Korea and Britain now decides not to help and to turn its back on the very, very small number that make it here? North Korea is in a category of its own when it comes to human rights violations. It is a totalitarian state where many people are enslaved and tortured. All forms of freedom of expression are repressed and people are purged using the death penalty, there is mass malnourishment and outside Kim’s Pyongyang it is commonplace for people to starve to death. Amnesty International reports that many North Koreans, including children, are detained in political prison camps and other detention facilities in North Korea. Conditions are dire. Torture is rampant and public execution is common. Many of the prisoners die of malnutrition and overwork. No refugee should be refused or prejudiced on language or cultural difference. Why should Britain cherry pick whom it helps in this way?

Please sign my petition to the Home Secretary for review of this contact order. Here is a link to the Mirror article which describes the horrific crime. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-who-throat-cut-brutal-5164409#rlabs=6 It is vital for women and children to be safe and protected from unwanted contact with their attackers. The family cannot at present move forward to build a new life owing to this totally inappropriate ruling.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) currently compensate 'blameless victims of crimes'. However, they also state 'We may refuse or reduce a payment if you have a criminal record, even though you may have been blameless in the incident which resulted in your injury'. As somebody who works in the legal profession representing victims of abuse, I have witnessed victims of abuse (whose abuser has been convicted) refused compensation on the basis that they have unspent criminal convictions. Some victims were drugged, laced with alcohol and forced to commit crimes by their abusers - they too have been refused compensation because they have 'unspent convictions'. These people were CHILDREN who were abused and put in that situation and CICA are punishing them for their abuse. Common symptoms of those who were or are being abused are anger, use of drugs and alcohol, committing crimes and lashing out because they want to be heard and helped. Their experiences will be with them for the rest of their lives and they will never be able to regain their childhood or live a normal live. These issues were submitted to the government last Autumn but to date they have failed to acknowledge the correspondence sent to them. Is this being swept under the carpet too? These victims need help to rebuild their lives, not to feel they are being punished by CICA: A government run organisation!

Because this type of discrimination is absolutely abhorrent. Three hundred teachers have been prevented from teaching because somebody else in their household has a criminal record of a proscribed nature. The household could include lodgers, children, people who are being cared for by the relatives within the household. A wayward family member, or worse any person living in the house such as a lodger could precipitate suspension and even removal from a job. The restrictions are independent of timescale, and so a single criminal act from many years ago could precipitate problems for all others within the household.

Wrongly convicted, served time for someone else's crime, then exonerated. So now we compensate them so they can re-start the lives that were stolen, don't we? NO! The system which made such huge errors has thrown them on the scrapheap, hoping they will never resurface. Read their stories, below. Please sign and share onwards, This is not lawful, nor is it moral. *Martin Foran, served two prison terms, totalling 19 years. Both convictions quashed. He has terminal cancer, caused by poor medical help in prison!: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29658936 *Victor Nealon, served 17 years, 7 years over his tariff because he would not say he was guilty. Now being told to pay legal costs because he had the affront to seek compensation: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wrongly-convicted-men-launch-new-case-against-the-justice-secretary-9985773.html *Barry George, a mentally disabled man, served 8 years for the murder of Jill Dando. Acquitted on appeal; retried and unanimously found NOT GUILTY. Told he has not PROVEN his innocence. He will not give up his fight for justice; for Jill and for himself: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358815/Barry-George-loses-compensation-bid-wrongly-convicted-Jill-Dandos-murder.html *James Boyle was falsely accused of committing sexual offences in his past. He was finally released in February 2010 after a lengthy battle to clear his name; his case is yet another example of a wholly innocent man who has had his life turned upside down by a corrupt system. He continues to be denied restorative justice, and continues to fight his cause to have his reputation restored. - See more at: http://www.miscarriagesofjustice.org/case-files/fighting-for-justice/jimmy-boyle#sthash.W4Kpmlfz.dpuf These are the names and cases of some of those who were wrongly convicted, and who served long prison sentences for crimes committed by someone else. All of these people have recently been refused compensation under Section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act. This act, amended in 2012, now excludes many wrongly convicted, released people, and is a travesty of our Justice system. It takes away our fundamental right to be presumed ‘innocent until proven guilty! This right is enshrined in our legal system, and by the European Court of Human Rights…Barrister Baroness Helena Kennedy called the change “an affront to our system of law” when the Bill was debated. “When people have wasted long periods of their life in jail for crimes they didn't commit, the least society can do is provide some compensation,” said Sadiq Khan, the shadow Justice Secretary. (The Independent) The Presumption of Innocence. This appalling decision has been further compounded by the, seemingly arbitrary change to another of our laws, the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, by The Right Honourable Chris Grayling MP (Chris Grayling is not a member of the judiciary, neither does he have any legal expertise), further damaging the rights of people claiming compensation for wrongful imprisonment, by saying “you must ‘prove beyond reasonable doubt that you are innocent.’” In the criminal justice system of Britain, there is no facility or framework to prove one’s innocence, one is presumed innocent at trial. Indeed the defendant is told by their legal representative that they have nothing to prove…it is for the prosecution to prove guilt, ’beyond reasonable doubt.’ The same situation applies at retrial, when testing the remaining evidence after the quashing of a conviction by the Court of Appeal. “YOU HAVE NOTHING TO PROVE!” To tell an already victimised and marginalised person to ‘prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that you are innocent’, is unlawful, and unobtainable under our legal system. We must stand up for them. These people have suffered enough for the mistakes of the justice system…they deserve justice. They need to be compensated for having had so much taken from them: Their right to a family life, their right to liberty, careers, homes and possessions, etc. Families are shattered by wrongful conviction, and these relationships often cannot be healed. Many people lose everything they have ever owned! Money is needed to rebuild these lives, and it cannot be done on £46.00 (given when they are released). We cannot continue turn our backs on them; sweeping them under the carpet, like dirt. These are innocent people…we must help them. Please tell the Secretary of State to reverse these perverse decisions, THEY DESERVE COMPENSATION - NOW!

Raif Badawi has been sentenced to 1000 lashes and 10 years in prison for encouraging free speech and debate about politics and religion in his home country, Saudi Arabia. He has endured 50 lashes already in a public space in front of a crowd of on-lookers. Saudi Arabia is not a democracy and has its own system of government. Regardless of our respect for different cultures and traditions, it is not acceptable that any country should treat its citizens as criminals for expressing opinions about their society or that their citizens should be physically abused for their beliefs.

Freedom of speech and freedom of expression are integral to global peace and security. We don't have to agree with what is being said, but we have to respect the persons rights to say it without fear. States which have laws like this which restrict free speech are wont to abuse them - to shut down dissent, to punish difference of opinion, and to insulate the government from all criticism. That is why the right to free speech, including the right to offend, is protected in international law. Even Raif's lawyer has been jailed. His crimes? 'Harming the reputation of the state by communicating with international organizations' and 'preparing, storing and sending information that harms public order'. Without respect for the right to freedom of expression, we are vulnerable to the worst oppression states can muster.

This is a cynical abuse of power against the most vulnerable people in our society, children with no parents, living in care, by the most powerful people in society. If we can prosecute footballers for rape, why are MPs getting away with planned rapes of carefully selected children? It is outrageous. The Secrets Act is being used by Theresa May to dampen down this issue. Let's make sure that does not happen. The allegations of abuse are serious, detailing very violent acts against these children.

Failure to undertake appropriate identity checks makes it very easy for criminals to use a stolen identity to obtain goods on credit. Victims of identity fraud now have to report the crime to a central fraud investigation unit who may or may not decide to investigate. This delay can lead to more uses of the stolen identity which can adversely affect the victim's credit rating and lead to tremendous levels of stress as letters arrive demanding money for goods obtained on credit. Common routes used for this type of fraud are mobile phone companies, store cards and catalogues. In theory, the current security checks should minimise criminal opportunities, however many shop and call centre staff do not always check fully at the point of sale. If it were mandatory for a verifiable photo ID such as passport, citizen card or driving license to be part of the application process this would help reduce identity fraud. Shops whose staff do not run the appropriate checks, thus resulting in a fraudulent application succeeding should also have to compensate the victim for the stress caused.

Exaro News, The Daily Mirror and The Sunday People are exposing a massive establishment cover up of paedophiles in very prominent positions. Most recently, current and former police officers have talked of a number of operations into peadophile networks being shut down as they got to close to VIPs. By not covering these stories in its mainstream broadcasts, the BBC in its silence is part of the cover up. Only by getting this story out into the highest profile news broadcasts will there be enough momentum gathered to bring these VIPs to justice. "This is about kids being raped by those in power that included politicians of all sorts" Ex-Met Officer of 30 years' service.

This will not only end the treatment of addicts and recreational drug users as criminals, but it can also see an increase in revenues through taxation, a reduction of the government deficit by roughly £1.25 billion and a decrease in crime as seen in the US state of Colorado. The "Misuse of Drugs Act 1971" is a 43 year old law with a desperate need of an overhaul and needs to be repealed, if possible, in order to allow for a safer, better law regarding decriminalisation of illicit substances to be put in place. For information regarding the legalisation of Cannabis and decriminalisation of other illicit substances visit: http://www.clear-uk.org/ http://norml-uk.org/ And watch the documentaries: "The Culture High" and "The Union: The Business Behind Getting High".

Elections and Referendums should be held in a way that leaves the public with 100% confidence in the outcome. At the moment the system leaves worrying areas of uncertainty, areas in which Electoral fraud may be possible. Under the current system, once votes are made, ballot boxes are commonly transported at the "Discretion of the counting officer" they are often then unsupervised and/or by un-vetted transporters. They are often transported in ballot boxes that have not been fully sealed in a 100% fraud proof way. Often these boxes will be transported with only one single identifiable tag on that unfortunately does not stop the ballot box from being opened and closed. We advise transportation of ballot boxes should no longer take place. To remedy this situation we are now petitioning you to change the way in which the ballots are held which removes any requirement for ballot boxes to be transported. All Votes should be placed and counted in the same hall. The ballot boxes should be supervised 100% of the time and they should be sealed and closed in a way that they can not be opened in anyway whatsoever. The votes should then be counted in the same hall under constant supervision. Thus removing any chance of transportation fraud. The other key area that is open to Fraud is that every ballot paper should be numbered or marked in a unique way so that they are identified as genuine ballot papers. Currently this is only a guideline and not Law. It was reported during the Scottish referendum blank ballot papers were issued and accepted by the counting officers. When the Electoral commission was contacted about this they advised that the votes will have been accepted. Use of unique identification numbers or water marks on ballot papers should be backed up by law. No ballot paper whatsoever should be accepted if it does not have the UIN or watermark. This cannot be left to the discretion of the counting officer. This should be put in place as if there was ever a case of fraud or an accident involving ballot boxes there is currently no way of identifying ballot papers as being genuine or not. We hope that you will look into this as it is a matter of upmost importance. It is very important that the UK can have as transparent and fair and democratic voting system as possible that can ensure the outcome of future ballots can be trusted to be reliable and 100% fraud free. The public should not be in ANY doubt about the reliability of Elections or Referendums.