Over half of British people think the death penalty should be re-introduced. A survey says 54 per cent of people want capital punishment brought back while 30 per cent want the current law to remain.
This surprised me from Premier.
Over half of British people think the death penalty should be re-introduced.
A survey says 54 per cent of people want capital punishment brought back while 30 per cent want the current law to remain.
But human rights activists say support for the death penalty is actually weakening and claim the moral case against the punishment remains strong.
Symon Hill, Associate Director of Christian think tank Ekklesia, says the state should respect everyone’s right to life. He said:
“It is vitally important that we listen to people. I am constantly urging politicians to listen to what people have to say more. Democracy however is about everybody, it’s not just about majorities and that includes the human right to life.
“That right may not be respected by murdered but that is no reason to lower ourselves to the level of murders and carry out what is an act of murder on them.”
The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive found the strongest support comes from older generations, 49 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds and 37 per cent of those aged 16 to 24, support executions.
Ninety-four per cent believe the punishment should be used for murders, but many believe the death penalty should be extended beyond this. Of those in favour, 68 per cent for want it for war crimes and 62 per cent for child abuse.
Twenty-four per cent believe it should be extended to major drug dealers and 45 per cent say it should be used for rapists and those involved in gun crime. Christian barrister, Mark Mullins, says he supports capital punishment, and isn’t surprised to find many people share his opinion:
“It does not surprise me that the majority of people in their consciences feel that capital punishment is right and the Bible endorses it.
“As we know in Genesis 9 after the flood a man who shed another persons blood should have his own blood shed because we are made in God’s image and that has not changed.”
The last British executions were in 1964, before capital punishment was scrapped for murder in 1969 and for all offences in 1998. But the results show that many people believe the punishment should not be outlawed. However, banning capital punishment is a condition of European Union membership and a European Convention on Human Rights protocol which Britain signed in 1999.
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