UK government petitions website suspended 'until further notice' out of respect for Queen

The official government and parliament petitions website has been suspended 'until further notice' following the Queen's death.

The decision means people can no longer post new petitions or put their name on existing campaigns.

Visitors trying to sign petitions are met with a large black bar at the top of the page, and a notice that reads:

"Following the sad news of the passing of the late Her Majesty The Queen, the petition has been suspended until further notice.

"Please check back later for more information."

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The petitions system is a joint undertaking of the UK Government and Parliament - with petitions with over 10,000 res signatures getting an official government response.

Those signed by more than 100,000 people can be debated in parliament.

The petitions are all time-limited to six months and must reach these milestones within that timeframe to be eligible.< /p>

The website was closed on Friday

(UK government and parliament)

The Independenthas contacted parliamentary authorities for more information on the thinking behind the suspension. The House of Commons spokesman said: “Following the sad announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, the business of the House of Commons has been suspended. This includes committee work.”

< p>The decision to suspend the website was criticized by some...