You may have noticed that the government have launched a new e-petition website. The two petitions on it with the largest number of signatures are a petition to retain the ban on capital punishment and a petition to restore capital punishment.
It is perceived wisdom in the UK that the British people would rather like to bring back the death penalty. I don’t believe it for a second and the arguments of those who propose bringing it back fall apart at the slightest bit of questioning.
When they say capital punishment will act as a deterrent, the evidence shows otherwise. The UK has a lower murder rate than, say China or the US, who are two of the biggest proponents of the death penalty and within the USA, FBI data shows that all 14 states without capital punishment in 2008 had homicide rates at or below the national rate.
When they say its cheaper than life imprisonment, again the facts tell a different story. In the US state of Maryland death penalty cases cost three times more than non-death penalty cases, or $3 million for a single case.
And what of miscarriages of justice? You may remember Sally Clark, accused and convicted of killing her two sons. On appeal it was found the prosecutor's pathologist had failed to show evidence that one of her sons had died of natural causes. She was released and hundreds of cases were reviewed. The death penalty would have turned this review from a corruption case to a tragic waste of life.
Quite apart from the fact that, when you stop and think about it, state sponsored killing is an abhorrent idea, bringing it back would put us in the same international league as China, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Syria. Hardly bastions of democracy and no fit company for British justice.
The death penalty is the antithesis of human rights, and would put us in the same league as murderers. No individual should have the right to extinguish another life, and neither should the state.
You may disagree with me for setting it up, you may think there is little chance of the death penalty being reinstated, but I believe everyone should have a chance to nail their colours to the mast. You can sign the petition to retain the ban on capital punishment here.
Comments
Mary linden / August 04 2011 3:19pm
I agree . hope someone scales for a petition to retain the ban
Ed / August 04 2011 4:34pm
It should return, but for all forms of murder and terrorist attacks, if we had it back on the books, even if not used it would then get rid of the leftist policy of a foreigner needing deportation either for a crime they committed here or for crimes abroad not being deported to face justice because they may be executed when they get home.
Harsh punishment for harsh crimes is what we need, no more taking it easy on people who turn their back on society.
Sally / August 04 2011 7:43pm
A small question for Ed. So you are saying that you are against capital punishment, apart from the biggest of crimes. Surely the people who are deported, to be executed by their state for lesser reasons, theft, dissent, adultery (in some cases women who have been raped are seen as adulterous and then executed) are worthy of the compassion of a just country such as ours. Could you honestly be the one to hand them their return air ticket?
Retain Ban / August 04 2011 8:54pm
Have I woke up in Medieval England?
@Ed - have you just tried to justify state-sponsored murder, because of your own discrepancies about
What the hell is happening to this country? If it was (and I'm certain it won't be) brought back, I'd live the UK at once.
Retain Ban / August 04 2011 8:55pm
Have I woke up in Medieval England?
@Ed - have you just tried to justify state-sponsored murder, because of your own discrepancies about deportation/immigration.
What the hell is happening to this country? If it was (and I'm certain it won't be) brought back, I'd live the UK at once.
Jacques / August 05 2011 1:31pm
Quite confused. 'No individual should have the right to extinguish another life.' Yet this proposed law will be punishing those who do just that. When you have taken life you sacrifice your citizenship and 'human rights'. To extinguish human life, that person must be human in the first place. Wipe the scum out. In agreeance with you, it technically doesn't act as a deterrent (in gun-filled USA), but the major issue here is the fact that rapists and murderers have too often been getting out after 5 or 10 years and those sort of punitive measures create resentment in the wider public. No wonder so many of us want to bring it back
Mark / August 13 2011 7:32pm
Totally agree. Well done for starting the petition (which I've signed!)
A lot of people claim that there's a majority in favour of the death penalty, but Amnesty have shown that it depends how you ask the question:
"Polls which only ask whether the public is for or against the death penalty usually find a majority in support of capital punishment; but it is clear that when real world alternatives are included – alternative punishments and alternative uses of government resources – that support collapses."
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/most-voters-prefer-alternatives-to-the-death-penalty/
Mark / August 13 2011 7:36pm
I'm interested in what you say about the cost factor, as I often hear people say it would be cheaper to "hang 'em" Could you provide some more detailed info on this?