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Civil Disobedience

EDM number 1587 in 2003-04, proposed by Bob Spink on 07/09/2004.

That this House, whilst not condoning acts of non-violent, non-threatening civil disobedience, accepts its tradition in our society which goes back many years and includes action taken by the suffragettes in getting votes for women; is concerned that Mrs Irene Willis of Canvey Island received a sentence of 21 days imprisonment for causing ú300 damage to an American air base fence, even though she states that had she been given community service she would have gladly carried it out and that her argument was not with society, but with the Government; believes that the original sentence of three years conditional discharge and ú500 fine would have improperly prevented her from carrying out future acts of reasonable protest and that the use of such disproportionate sentences, applied generally in respect of civil disobedience cases of a non-violent nature, may prevent reasonable protest and improperly inhibit freedom of speech and campaign; and calls on the Government to review this area of sentencing policy to ensure that it is not seen as authoritarian and unable to accept and listen to protest.

This motion has been signed by a total of 11 MPs.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Bob Spink07/09/2004Castle PointConservativeProposed
Lynne Jones08/09/2004Birmingham, Selly OakLabourSigned
Ann Cryer13/09/2004KeighleyLabourSigned
Hywel Francis14/09/2004AberavonLabourSigned
Bill Etherington15/09/2004Sunderland NorthLabourSigned
John McDonnell16/09/2004Hayes & HarlingtonLabourSigned
Alan Simpson11/10/2004Nottingham SouthLabourSigned
Kelvin Hopkins11/10/2004Luton NorthLabourSigned
Bob Blizzard11/10/2004WaveneyLabourSigned
Jeremy Corbyn14/10/2004Islington NorthLabourSigned
Diane Abbott21/10/2004Hackney North & Stoke NewingtonLabourSigned

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