The Death Penalty

• Abolitionists were unions that were dedicated to the abolition of the death penalty in the early 1900s
• Arguments for the death penalty:

  • The ultimate deterrent for people not to commit murder
  • Only way to remove threats from society
  • Life imprisonment was more expensive
  • Retribution for the worst murderers
• Arguments against the death penalty:

  • Murder and unplanned killing still happened
  • Went against religious and moral principles
  • Murder rate in Sweden hadn't decreased when execution was abolished
  • Could execute an innocent person
• In 1948, the house of commons voted to abolish the death penalty, however the house of lords did not support this so it was not passed. However, the public agreed that the death penalty should be abolished
• While some politicians agreed the death penalty should be abolished, others strongly disagreed and followed their own conscience
• The 1957 homicide act made that only the worst kinds of murders were punishable by death
• In 1969, the death penalty was permanently abolished