What should a petition include

You will need to allege certain things in your petition in order to meet the basic requirements of the court where you are filing your court case. The information required in your petition will depend on the type of court case you are trying to file.

Basically, you need to explain the reason you are filing, what you would like to see happen the relief you are requesting and provide specific examples of what occurred that makes you think the judge should give you what you are asking for.

In some cases, there will be additional requirements that you will need to meet so you should be sure to review the form carefully and complete all of the sections. For example, in a case to modify an existing custody order, you might have to include information about a change of circumstances that has happened since the original order was issued. Most states have sample petition forms that you can fill in online. If your state does not have forms available online, you may be able to get the forms by asking the court clerk in the courthouse where you want to file your petition.

Some courthouses may even have a staff person who is available to help draft petitions. A letter-writing campaign can have more impact than a very small petition.

A press release can raise awareness. A public meeting can encourage more people to get involved. Your petition can be on paper or online, or both. We have a list of websites that help you build internet petitions. There is also an example paper petition below. Make this realistic and concrete. For example, if you want to extend the opening hours at your local council-run library, direct the petition to someone in the council.

If you want a change to national policy, target a government department or specific ministers or MPs. Try to identify a specific individual decision-maker or small committees to address the petition to, rather than a whole big organisation.

For example, to persuade people to support a petition to install a zebra-crossing, include information about the number of people who need to cross at that place, and any accidents that have happened. Ask people to give their postcode, as this helps show that they are real people and, if relevant, that they live in the area affected by the issue. Include the petition text at the top of every page of a paper petition, so that all signatures are clearly below the demand.

People need to understand what they are signing quickly and easily. Make sure your petition is clear, accurate and concise. Do not use overly formal or legalistic language. If you are campaigning on a local issue, you need to reach as many local residents as possible e. If you want to get thousands of signatures from all over the country, think carefully about how to use social media to get as much coverage as you can.

If your group is based in Sussex you can print petitions, fliers and posters in the Resource Centre print room. We also have folding tables , a free-standing sign and clipboards available for hire.

Petitions are more likely to have an impact if they are used at a time when it is not too difficult to make the change you are asking for. For example, if you are petitioning against a new development, submit the petition before the plans are approved. You are less likely to have success if the building work has already begun. Large governance organisations like the Government and local authorities have their own systems for receiving petitions.

If you are petitioning one of these, you should follow their system. If it is to another local council, contact their Democratic Services department to find out how to submit a petition. In most other cases, you should try to talk directly to the decision-maker you are targeting. This might be a headteacher, a small business owner, or the CEO of a big company. To find the right contact details, you might need to go through a switchboard or a Personal Assistant.

You may have to be persistent, but speaking directly with the decisionmaker will increase your chances of success. Send your petition by email or post, and follow up with a phone call or visit to arrange a meeting. Before you speak with the decision-maker, be clear about what you are asking for. Write down your demands so that you can refer to them in the meeting. A change of policy? A promise to consider it? How can you use this to publicise your campaign and gain more support?

It is your choice which method you use, or you can do both at the same time. When the Council receives a petition, the lead petitioner is invited to speak about it for 3 minutes at a Council meeting. You can also ask a councillor or somebody else to speak on your behalf. Having a councillor involved in your campaign can be helpful because they could follow up your petition by making further proposals and arguments at future Council meetings.

Before launching your petition, decide which meeting you are aiming to present it at. You can present the petition at a Full Council meeting or a Committee meeting. Different Committees deal with different areas of Council policy. Information about the Council structure is on their website. If you are not sure where would be best to present your petition, a local councillor might be able to help.

You could also talk to Democratic Services for advice. You will need to inform the Council of the wording of the petition and the number of signatures 10 days before the meeting, so start well in advance. If a petition receives more than 1, signatures, it can be debated by Full Council. This means councillors will discuss the issue for up to 15 minutes after the petition is presented.

Note that, if the Council is running a public consultation, or inviting responses to a Planning Application, a petition is considered as just one representation.

In these cases, asking people to write individual letters can be more effective. See our page on organising a letter-writing campaign. If your petition is about a national issue, you may want to present it to the Government. You can do this online via the Government petition website. Your petition will automatically be submitted to the Government. They will respond to it if it receives over 10, signatures, and will consider a debate in Parliament if it receives over , You could also present a petition to a particular government department.

Macmillan have a useful guide to campaigning for small local groups. All Resource Centre information is available for free because we know small community groups have small budgets.

However, we are a small charity, so if you are in a position to make a donation, it will help us to keep running this service into the future.

At prorogation the period of time between two sessions of a Parliament , any outstanding government responses to petitions presented in the previous session must be tabled in the subsequent session.

On the other hand, the dissolution of Parliament the end of a Parliament triggering a general election ends any requirement for the government to respond to a petition. A paper petition that was certified but not presented in one Parliament can be sent to a Member of the next Parliament for presentation when the House of Commons resumes sitting.

The Member of Parliament presenting a petition to the House is not necessarily supporting the content of the petition. A petition shall not be promoted by using the Member's name without his or her written consent. The House of Commons is committed to follow best practices related to the protection of personal information collected, used, disclosed, transmitted and preserved as part of the paper petition process.

Once a Member of Parliament has sent a paper petition to the Clerk of Petitions for certification, the personal information of the petitioner and signatories will be subject to the following:.

We, the undersigned Identify the petitioners in general terms , for example: citizens and residents of Canada, electors of name of electoral district , residents of the Province of After the prayer, include a table with 2 columns one for signatures and one for addresses and several rows large enough to allow a person to sign.

The table may look like this and some signatures must be on the first page. Repeat the prayer from the first page at the top of each subsequent page or the subject matter of your petition. NOTE: The text of the prayer must be the same on each page.

Add a table for signatures and addresses, as on the first page, with as many rows as can fit on the page. There is no obligation on the part of the House of Commons or any Member of Parliament to authorize the publication of an e-petition or to present an e-petition or a paper petition to the House of Commons.

Neither the House of Commons nor any Member of Parliament authorizing the publication of an e-petition or presenting an e-petition or paper petition to the House of Commons endorses the views or information contained in any petition posted on this website. Moreover, they do not make any representations about, or assume any liability for, any of the views or information set out in any petition. No petition posted on this website is protected by parliamentary privilege until presented by a Member of Parliament to the House of Commons.

Government responses to both e-petitions and paper petitions are received in an electronic format by the House of Commons and are posted as is without any alteration as soon as possible after the responses are tabled in the House of Commons.

Delays may be encountered when a large amount of responses are tabled the same day. The House of Commons is not responsible for the content and format of government responses; however, it will make best efforts to assist a person requiring an accessible format in addressing the issue with the Privy Council Office. If you have any questions or comments regarding the accessibility of this publication, please contact us at accessible parl.

Parliamentary Business Parliamentary Business - Home. The House. Procedural Reference Material Library of Parliament. Parliamentary Diplomacy. Members - Home. Most government bodies and many other organizations have guidelines regarding the number of signatures required for a petition to be considered. Confirm this number with the group or agency where your petition will be submitted. Develop a clear and specific statement of your goal. Once you know what is required of your petition, write a statement that frames your goals.

It should be precise, concise, and informative. It doesn't need to contain every target or point for your cause, but it should give potential signers a strong idea of your cause.

Part 2. Add a brief summary of your cause. Under your goal statement, include a paragraph or two that briefly describes the nature of the issue, a statement about why the issue matters to the petition audience, and a proposed change or call to action to address the issue. You want to describe the issue in a way that makes sense to someone even if they know nothing about the cause.

Try keeping your petition's text to two or three short, easy to scan paragraphs. Adding a few bullet points or number can also he helpful. Do a check to make sure your petition text makes sense.

Have someone else read it over to check for clarity and see if they understand your the problem and your campaign's end goal.

Prepare references for your statements. Some people will want to know where you are getting your information so that they can make sure it is valid. Prepare an additional sheet that you can keep behind your petition that cites the references you consulted.

Be sure to include the title and author of the reference, where you found it like a book title or URL, if applicable , and the date you accessed it. You can even choose to print out a few extra copies and hand them out if someone requests such. Edit your petition for spelling and grammar errors. If errors litter your petition, it is very unlikely you will be taken seriously.

Use spell check and proofread your petition for obvious mistakes. Read it out loud to determine if it flows and makes sense. Part 3. Make a call to action.

Your opening statement may touch on what you want to see done about the issue, but you should also include a brief paragraph explaining the desired result. Let people know what will happen if your petition is fulfilled. Be concise, but specific. Let people know what you want to happen, who can make it happen, and when it should happen. Let people know what else they can do to support the cause. If applicable, you can choose to include a paragraph at the bottom of your petition letting people know if there are other things they can do to support your cause.

If it would help to have people calling local political offices or setting up meetings with company heads, let people know who they should be talking to and how to get in touch with them.

You could add on a brief statement like, "To further support the cause, make an appointment to meet with the City Manager's Office sometime before the City Council vote this coming March.

Create a signer's form on a separate sheet for paper petitions. The signer's form is the actual action you want from people, and you need a designated space for that. Put the petition title on top of the form. Then, use a spreadsheet or word processor to create signature and demographic lines. Depending on your cause and the requirements for a petition in your area, you may want to include email addresses, phone numbers, and zip codes along with names and signatures.

Print out more copies of the signature form than you think you'll need. It's always better to be over-prepared than to have to turn away impactful signatures. If you are using a website to collect signatures, the program will develop the signature form for you. Part 4. Talk to people in person. Go where you can speak with large numbers of people concerned about the issue or open to information about it. Go to public places in areas where your target audience likes to congregate or hang out to start collecting signatures.

Spread the word about your petition through your office, school, and other social groups, and hand out signature forms to friends who may also want to get involved.