Parliament Would Never Say Yes, But With The Increase In Savage Murders, If They Were To Hold A Referendum For The Return Of Capital Punishment Would The British Public Vote Overwhelmingly 'yes'?

[anotheoldgit]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6349455/Ex-Tory-minister-John-Hayes-calls-return-capital-punishment-amid-bloody-crime-wave.html

[dannyk13]

Doubt it.

[jackthehat]

No.

[MallyJ]

I wouldn't and I hope the vast majority of people would agree. It is not a deterrent and should one more innocent person be killed in this way the state is guilty of the killing.

[JJ109]

You've answered your own question!
Parliament would never say yes because MPs want to retain their seats.
MPs may be liars and cheats but they are not stupid.
Too many of their constituents would be against them if they voted yes
If there was a referendum these majority of constituents would vote against its return

[margarettom]

I wouldn't. But if there was an option for longer mandatory prison sentences for murder, then I would vote for that.

[AuntLydia]

Yes I think a referendum outcome would bring back capital punishment. I have never come across anyone who has not said at some time ' they should bring back hanging' when hearing of a horrible crime. Hanging as a capital punishment is not something I would want to see brought back as we have much more sophisticated ways of dispatching low life these days.

[mushroom25]

not only parliament not agree to restoration, they would also not agree to a restoration referendum.

[AuntLydia]

jj109 // If there was a referendum these majority of constituents would vote against its return//

Did you predict Brexit or were you one of those who declared British people would never vote to leave the UK?

Many people say one thing publicly to be seen to be liberal, but vote a different way.

[anneasquith]

No.

[naomi24]

I really don't know - but I suspect they might. The government would never agree to it though.

[Zacs-Master]

Certainly not after Brexit.

[JJ109]

AuntLydia I agree with what you say about saying one thing and doing another. I personally would say that they should bring back capital punishment upon hearing about an atrocity........but if it came to a referendum then I would vote against as the execution of just one innocent person would far outweigh the execution of people that "may" have deserved it.

Longer, mandatory prison sentences would be my preference.
Like I said MPs know the score!

[New Judge]

Parliament would never say yes but it wouldn't matter if they did. If every voter, every MP and every member of the House of Lords wanted to see the restoration of Capital punishment it could not happen whilst we are signatories to the European Convention on Human Rights. The original Convention wording provided an exception under article 2 (the right to life) for lawful executions.
However that article has been modified by Protocols 6 and 13. Protocol 6 prohibits the imposition of the death penalty in peacetime, while Protocol 13 extends the prohibition to all circumstances.

So unless we resign as signatories (which, despite Mrs May's rumblings early on in her Premiership, no party or minister has the slightest intention of promoting as a realistic possibility) we cannot do as we wish. Thus the question is of academic interest only.

[woofgang]

no

[anotheoldgit]

jj109

/// I would vote against as the execution of just one innocent person would far outweigh the execution of people that "may" have deserved it. ///

With DNA and other modern technology I don't think that would happen.

The death sentence would only be carried out if the person was 100% guilty without a shadow of doubt.

[andy-hughes]

AOG - // The death sentence would only be carried out if the person was 100% guilty without a shadow of doubt. //

I don't believe - even in our modern world, that such certainty can be assured under all circumstances.

[AuntLydia]

jj109

Thank you for your reply. I think these days with the leaps we have in forensics its highly unlikely an innocent person would be given capital punishment. They should reinstate the death penalty for Treason and class all terrorist related crimes as treason. That would be a first step but I doubt it would hinder terrorist acts as the perpetrators usually want to die anyway to collect their 40 virgins.
My reasoning for capital punishment is financial, kill the killers and free up some space in the prisons for other types of crime.

[Rockrose]

Would you put to death a woman who murdered her abusive partner?

[goodgoalie]

Lydia - it's 72 virgins!

[anotheoldgit]

andy-hughes

/// I don't believe - even in our modern world, that such certainty can be assured under all circumstances. ///

I am talking in such circumstances as those who killed Lee Rigby, no one could say that they might not have been guilty.