UK Death Penalty - would you like it returned?

I agree with just about everything you have said, Cossy, and I do also wonder if this is a rhetorical question. We have talk about trial by jury being outdated, and with AI on the horizon, I wonder, I just wonder a teeny bit, could AI be considered so infallible that we face the return of state-sanctioned murder? I truly hope not.

A death penalty makes no sense. Either it's wrong to kill somebody or it isn't.

Whatever you think of capital punishment, it certainly prevents reoffending. A lifetime of imprisonment is arguably more inhumane than capital punishment so if the offender wants it, why not? Can I be executioner?

No!!! I couldn’t kill anyone so therefore shouldn’t expect anyone else to pull the trigger.

No I remember it in the forties. The news report with people outside the prison and the solemn sound of Big Ben. As a child I thought this was obscene and I haven’t changed my mind. Then of course there was Evan’s and Christie and Bentley and Craig which added to the assurance that hanging was wrong.

Ruth Ellis, Timothy Evans, Derek Bentley -- three people killed by the state on very dubious grounds after unreliable trials, spurious witnesses and biased testimony.
It would certainly happen again and there is no going back from it, ever.
Timothy Evans has even had a posthumous pardon.(A second murderer, Christie, was later executed for the same crimes Evans had initially been convicted of. ) Ruth Ellis killed her unfaithful lover just days after miscarrying his child.
The juries believed police evidence even though it was highly contestable, and it's very possible they still would...

No, never.

I agree with Elegan .

Cossy, the problem is not in the Genitalia but in the head, sterilising and castrating vile murdering individuals will not stop them being vile and committing heinous crimes!

Let a life sentence actually mean life.

Yes I would where there is 100% evidence I would have no problem giving a lethal injection to anyone who has abused or killed a child

No. If killing is wrong it is wrong for the state to kill.

In a word.....No

I am against the Death Penalty.
I am in favour of a life sentence when it literally means a ‘whole life’

No.

Absolutely not

Lot of references to hanging, just to point out we have dna nowadays, I worry about the judicial system and lack of rehabilitation for offenders and the whole system needs a full overhaul and feel the moral compass in the country lacks respect, people feel they can do whatever they like with no consequences

brittaniagirl

Lot of references to hanging, just to point out we have dna nowadays, I worry about the judicial system and lack of rehabilitation for offenders and the whole system needs a full overhaul and feel the moral compass in the country lacks respect, people feel they can do whatever they like with no consequences

...indeed. If only there was some kind of deterrent.

No to the death penalty but I would like to see realistic prison sentences. Some even for very serious offences seem far too lenient. I would like to see more work for prisoners, workshops attached to all prisons and all prisoners, except of course those in solitary establishing the routine of going to work each day. perhaps much more education offered with practical classes mainly Maths, English, cooking and money management. There would of course have to be many more staff for my ideas to be possible.

Apart from all the humanitarian reasons it would be very hard to get a jury to convict.

Iam64

Why should prisoners have the right to end their lives when we still lack the right to help to end our lives when facing dreadful illnesses

Quite so Iam64

Don’t be ridiculous. It’s inhumane and not a good example to people who kill. I’m not religious but I do agree with thou shalt not kill. I think it applies to animals as well as humans and so called Christian’s don’t seem to have a problem with murder as long as it’s on their terms. Despite the Ten Commandments. It’s all so hypocritical.

I think it should be available,but for cast iron cases,
not circumstantial cases.

I think most murders are not intentionally and the murderers are known to the person who was murdered

If hanging was available,I think this would reduce the amount of murders with the perpetrators knowing that they could face the death penalty.

If you honestly think it may be a deterrent you may like to read this:

nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13363/deterrence-and-the-death-penalty

It concludes that US states who have (and use) the death penalty have a similar murder rate to those who don’t - irrespective of the threat of capital punishment.

Pippa - I too would like to see more education in prisons but unfortunately the idea of "improving" things for prisoners is not welcome to many people if we have to pay for it.

Research at that time showed, (when I worked with ex-offenders) that "the public" was pretty hostile to paying for anything that could be seen as a benefit to prisoners. It was about perception of fairness and who should be given a leg-up.

It was often a case of "why should they have xyz when "Johnny" - who has done nothing wrong - can't.

I admit I've not read research on the funding of the prison service for some time though - however I doubt much has changed.