Crime committed by those with moral imperatives

• The Suffragettes

  In the early 20th century compaigned for women's rights to vote through direct action and civil disobedience, they deliberately broke the law. They set fire to post boxes, smashed windows of public places, cut telegraph wires and when convicted were refusing to pay fines fines. Emili Davison died by throwing herself under the king's horse during the Derby race in 1913.
• The Cat and Mouse Act (the Suffragettes)

  In 1913, the government responded to the Suffragettes with the Prisoners Act (aka The Cat and Mouse Act). It allowed hunger strikers to be temporarily released and reimprisoned once their health is recovered. As more and more Suffragettes refused food in prisons they were force feeded through a nostril or stomach tube often causing permanent health problems. The Suffragettes achieved a partial victory in 1918 when right to vote was given to women over 30. In 1928 women were given equal rights to men.
• The Stansted 15

  15 protestors broke into Stansted Airport in 2017 in a non-violent protest and chained themselves together around a plane that had been chartered by the Home Office to deport 60 people to Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. They were convicted of "endagering an aerodrome", which carries a ptential life sentence but were given suspended sentences or community orders. They acted to prevent deportation of individuals who were later proven to have been victims of human trafficking, and one had been raped and forced into sex work. 11 of the 60 were later given leave to remain in the UK. The case gained prominance because it came in the wake of the Windrush scandal.
• Theory

  Functionalists argue that withour deviancem new social values could not emerge, no change would be possible and society would stagnate. For example, the Suffragettes pointed out the injustice of denying women the vote and promoted equality between the sexes.