Scotland’s current domestic abuse law protects people harmed by partners or ex-partners, but it does not cover adults who experience coercive control from non-partners such as carers, family members, guardians, or attorneys acting under Power of Attorney. Many adults rely on others for daily care, decision-making, or access to support, creating relationships of dependency where psychological harm, isolation, and financial control can occur. When concerns arise, they are often treated as private disputes or civil matters. In some cases, police cannot investigate the matter as domestic abuse solely because the perpetrator is not a partner or ex-partner, even where the same pattern of coercive control exists. Oversight is fragmented across multiple bodies, meaning no single agency assesses the full pattern of coercive control and harm. As a result, similar patterns of harm are treated differently depending solely on who the perpetrator is.
Create Stronger and More Consistent Dog Control Measures in Scotland
- 1,437 Signatures
I call on the Scottish Government to modernise the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 to improve public safety, animal welfare and responsible dog ownership.
The petition seeks:
1. A full review of the Act.
2. Immediate detention of dogs involved in serious attacks or dog fatalities.
3. Accountability for irresponsible owners following serious dog-on-dog attacks.
4. A national expert panel to assess fatal dog-on-dog attacks and recommend appropriate action against both the dog and owner where necessary, ensuring fair, evidence-based, and consistent outcomes across Scotland.
5. Licensing for owners of large or powerful dogs.
6. Licensing, training and insurance requirements for professional dog walkers.
7. The introduction of limits on the number, combined weight, or overall strength of dogs that any individual may walk at one time, alongside a legal requirement that all dogs remain under safe and effective control.
8. Mandatory third-party liability insurance for all dog owners.
Regulate the role of Curator Ad Litem for adults in Scotland
- 3 Signatures
Regulation is needed because there is currently no dedicated body responsible for overseeing the adult curator ad litem role.
The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) can appoint a curator ad litem in cases involving adults where there are concerns about legal capacity.
The appointment of a curator ad litem should not become a route to substitute decision-making without proper safeguards. There are clearly curators ad litem in Scotland who act properly and with care, however, serious concerns have been raised that some curators ad litem do not.
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission, Law Society of Scotland, Scottish Social Services Council, Mental Welfare Commission, SCTS, Lord Advocate and Police Scotland have all stated they have no authority or responsibility to regulate, or investigate complaints about a curator ad litem in adult cases.
The role should not be left to practitioners to self-regulate. If regulation is required for curators ad litem in children’s cases, then regulation is also required for curators ad litem appointed for adults.
I believe that the UK Government systematically denies Scotland’s democratic mandates. To break this deadlock and ensure day-one security, the Scottish Parliament must use its committee powers to examine a strategy of "pre-building the state" to maximize public and international confidence. We urge the Parliament to convene an independent inquiry to assess how Scotland can bypass political self-interest and establish a codified, unalterable Written Constitution. This inquiry should evaluate the framework for embedding three vital pillars:
• Shadow Infrastructure: Pre-establishing a Scottish Treasury, a Central Bank, and a full revenue agency to manage all national taxation before transition;
• Electoral Reforms: Embedding compulsory voting and introducing strict term limits on regional List MSPs to ensure direct accountability; and
• Resource Protection: Legally mandating a Norway-style Sovereign Wealth Fund to permanently ring-fence our renewable energy and oil revenues.
The current system places the administration of mandatory charitable rates relief with local authority non-domestic rates departments operating in a revenue and enforcement culture. This leads to lengthy processes and enforcement action against volunteer-led charities qualifying for 80% mandatory relief under the Local Government (Financial Provisions etc.) (Scotland) Act 1962.
Moving to an independent, third sector-led process would allow assessments to be carried out with a better understanding of how voluntary organisations operate, reducing the burden on volunteering communities.
Volunteer Scotland’s April 2025 report shows formal volunteering in Scotland is in crisis. Administrative demands disproportionately burden volunteers who contribute during evenings and weekends, while local authorities use multiple paid officers. This creates unnecessary barriers for small volunteer-led charities.
CAMHS Staff Need Resources, Children Need Assessments
- 5,204 Signatures
A family member was referred to CAMHS Midlothian for an ADHD assessment on 22 March 2022 and triaged on 7 June 2022. More than four years later, he is still waiting for an assessment, with very limited communication from the service.
Following a complaint in 2025, I was informed by a senior CAMHS clinician that increasing demand, staffing shortages and insufficient resources were contributing to long waits for neurodevelopmental assessments. Despite being told the wait would likely be measured in weeks rather than months, he remains on the waiting list over a year later.
This is not solely about my family member. Their experience demonstrates a wider national problem affecting thousands of Scottish children and families. Long waits delay access to support and leave families without answers. Increased investment in CAMHS neurodevelopmental services is needed to reduce waiting times and improve access to assessments across Scotland.
Improve Gynaecology, Fertility, Early Pregnancy and Maternity Care in Scotland
- 883 Signatures
The existing early pregnancy and maternity care system in Scotland, which removes pregnancy care from GPs and mandates self-referrals, is inadequate, resulting in delays, preventable pregnancy losses, and instances of medical negligence all damaging the lives of expectant mothers and families.
In my experience, there appears to be a significant issue with the level of communication between different services and across health board boundaries. There also seems to be a lack of appreciation or awareness within services about any potential risk factors that should require increased diligence when supporting expectant mothers.
Delays in understanding and addressing any risks can have devastating consequences for expectant mothers. I would like to see these delays minimised through a triaging system and an effective and reactive auditing process. There should also be a role for GPs in co-ordinating the initial provision of services.
Across Scotland, significant concerns have been raised about children displaying neurodevelopmental behaviours, emotional dysregulation, and other behaviours that place themselves or others at risk. These children often face lengthy delays or repeated referral rejections before receiving an assessment and support.
Families can be left managing serious situations while being told their child does not meet the threshold for intervention. As a result, many children only receive support once they have reached crisis point.
These delays place additional pressure on families, schools, GPs, emergency services, and local authorities, and can force parents to seek costly private assessments.
A guaranteed neurodevelopmental assessment within six months for children where significant behavioural, emotional, or safety-related concerns have been raised would ensure earlier identification of needs, faster access to support, and better outcomes for children and families across Scotland.
In December 2023, my daughter Lia Robertson was admitted to hospital aged just 3 months, with clear red flag symptoms including breathing difficulty and low oxygen levels. Blood tests showed a significantly raised lactate level – over three times the normal upper limit - a key marker for sepsis, but this result was attributed to poor sample quality and not repeated before she was discharged home.
Within hours, Lia deteriorated rapidly and was readmitted with septic shock. During emergency care, a needle slip led to the amputation of her leg; tragically, she never recovered and passed away.
Reviews confirmed this was a missed opportunity – repeating the test, adjusting for cold conditions or observing her longer would have led to earlier diagnosis and treatment. NHS say Lia may not have deteriorated as quickly, or suffered limb loss, had she remained in hospital. The health board has made changes, but there is no consistent national rule applying across all of Scotland.
This is not about removing clinical judgement from healthcare professionals. It is about ensuring that clinical judgement is supported by verified test results and creating a mandatory safety check, referred to as ‘Lia’s Law’ in memory of Lia Robertson, so that no other family suffers what we have endured.
Reduce MSP Salaries to the Median Scottish Full-time Income
- Final Signatures: 221
It became clear during the previous Parliamentary session that MSPs are detached from the lived experience of the nation, with their legislative agendas and priorities not matching the needs of the people of Scotland. As a former First Minister acknowledged, the overly generous pay causes a major perspective skew.
The £77,711 annual salary puts MSPs in the top 7% of UK earners, alongside those working in highly skilled professional jobs that require extensive formal qualifications and/or extensive practical experience. Yet, the MSP position requires neither qualifications nor work experience, has no binding workload, and comes with virtually no accountability, making such remuneration inappropriate.
The Scottish median full-time salary, corresponding to that of a band 5 NHS nurse, would seem more appropriate, and would make our MSPs invested in improving the living standard of the nation.
Capping the MSP salaries at the Scottish median would fund 129 band 5 NHS nurses.