Should the UK bring back Hanging for people like Huntley who murder inocent children?

Question

where there is no question of inocence and horrific crimes have been commited, surely it would be better and more economical for the country to hang offenders rather than give them free board and lodgings, not to mention free health and dental care etc. etc..

Answer 1

This question never dies on Y! Answers.

Britain is a member state of the EU. It is a member state of the Council of Europe and (as it must, to be an EU member anyway) is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

Including Protocol 6. Read it: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/euro/z25prot6.html
"Article 1
"The death penalty shall be abolished. No one shall be condemned to such penalty or executed."

To reinstate the death penalty, Britain would have to leave the EU (and that means that the EU Constitution would have to be ratified, or a new treaty amendment negotiated, because there is no present provision for quitting the EU) and it would have to renounce the Human Rights Convention. Wildly improbable.

Answer 2

It's simply not possible without leaving the EU and also turning our back on the International Human Rights Act. In 1998/9 the UK became a non-death penalty country, there is no offence on our statute books for which the death penalty can be applied nor can we make a new law that allows it.

The problem with the death penalty is there is no absolutes in law, evidence can be made to look 100% accurate when it's not, scientific tests can fail and the failure be overlooked etc.

Better would be hard labour camps for the most abhorrent of killers, torturers and abusers. A life sentence of hard living, working everyday for 12 hours without fail doing boring jobs in a system that is totally regimented would i think be a far worse punishment than death. The work could be made to pay for their living.

The problem is that even that would contravene Human Rights Acts no doubt.

The death penalty is not economical either, you still have to keep a person in prison for many years, it costs huge amounts to fight their legal teams trying to get the punishment changed, you still have the problem of compensation for killing those who are innocent.

Also how do you word that determination of a death penalty act, should children who commit abhorrent crimes be executed, the mentally ill who are unable to distinguish right or wrong, people who have had breakdowns and killed, what about car accidents - in 10 seconds you can kill more people than 99% of "evil " killers can in a life time - should the driver at fault be hung if 5 people die or is it just tragic because it could have happened to anyone(ie you) in a moment of distraction?


The death penalty is foolish idea promoted largely by those who do not bother to understand its implications, its a knee jerk answer to a complex problem.

Answer 3

As much as i agree that something hanous needs to be done to these evil beings, hanging is not fool proof, the case of Derek Bentley (the last person to be hanged in the UK I think) is a classic example - it was said then that the case was beyond doubt.

I think prisoners such as this should have to do something to give back to the community - or they should be sent somewhere far far away and forgotten about. So IF anything happens and innocence is proved then they can be bought back.

the Guildford 4 is another example, had hanging been around they would almost certainly have been made an example of.

something more does need to be done to the evil criminals and dictators, preachers other than a fee life that most people would quite enjoy.

I say use prisoners instead of animals for testings.......

Answer 4

I don't think we should bring back hanging or any sort of capital punishment, because then we (society) become no better then the criminal.
I do however think that Huntley and others like him, should NOT get free health and dental care, and he should be made to pay for his 'lodging' out of his own money. when his money eventually runs out, then he should be made to do hard labour work for 18 hours per day, for the rest of his life. Then he might just wish he was dead...

Let me know what you think:
[e-mail]

Answer 5

No. I'd put them into the general prison population and let them sort it out. One of the problems with sex offenders and child abusers/murderers is that they know if they are caught they will be segregated with their own kind. Few would live to offend again if they knew they were treated like any other prisoner. Possibly fewer crimes of this type would be committed if they knew that was what was waiting for them.

Answer 6

I totally agree with you.
anyone caught in the act and without a reasonable doubt should be executed fast.
I say without doubt though.
I believe though that all of the fanfare, with appeals and show should be eliminated. I think a hole should be dug, the dirt bag put at the edge of the hole, and a forty five slug, which costs about forty cents in the USA, should be used to the back of the head.
save money when you kill them.
I ask God for forgiveness though, I am a practicing Christian.
The thirst for blood of killers has not been quenched yet.

Answer 7

It has been shown in various "polls" over the last few years that most people in the UK support the reintroduction of Capital Punishment for people found guilty of murder.

For some reason both the Labour and Conservative(when they were in power),refused to hold a referendum to allow the population to vote on the matter.

Answer 8

Too Fooking right I do, Huntley and that Maxine Carr should have been both hung on the same rope. I think that this sort of crime should fit the punishment. There are too many murdering scum bas*ards filling up our prisons. Drag them all out of there beds, kill the lot of them, make more room for the scum that terrorise our streets.

Answer 9

I think public executions and hangings would be a good idea. I think people get too complacent when they are not confronted with harsh realities. A good dose of realism and horror is good... and would act as a deterrent. There needs to be more public shaming for unfavourable behaviours... I think a lot of crime happens when people don't feel connected to a society... that is when neighbours become strangers, and it's easier to commit a crime against people who don't know... but if you are connected to a community, you'd be less likely to steal from them probably.

Answer 10

For what they do hanging or execution will never reverse the crime.

If one innocent person is executed in error that makes society no better than the perpertarors of these crimes and hints towards mob rule.

The crime are horrific and disgusting, as low as mankind can possibley deliver but their peers must be 100% to stand in judgement.

The idea is to protect the public from these degenerates but again unless you keep them at a minimum comfort level how much better than them is society.