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Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965

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An Act to abolish capital punishment in the case of persons convicted in Great Britain of murder or convicted of murder or a corresponding offence by court-martial and, in connection therewith, to make further provision for the punishment of persons so
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No executions have occurred in the United Kingdom since the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965. The last were on 13 August 1964, when Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans were hanged for
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at the time it was passed were to be treated as charges of simple murder and all sentences of death were to be commuted to sentences of life imprisonment. The legislation contained a
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of both Houses otherwise determines". Resolutions were passed in the Commons and Lords on 16 and 18 December 1969, thereby making the act permanent.
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for murder in Great Britain (the death penalty for murder survived in Northern Ireland until 1973). The act replaced the penalty of death with a
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during a theft four months earlier, a death penalty crime under the 1957 act. The 1965 act left four capital offences:
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Hanging in the balance: a history of the abolition of capital punishment in Britain
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as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from
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Caribbean Territories (Abolition of Death Penalty for Murder) Order 1991
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The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, section 3(4)
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The citation of this act by this short title is authorised by
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Text of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965
396:"A brief history of capital punishment in Britain" 534: 447:"On this Day; 1969: MPs vote to abolish hanging" 312:Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 160:Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973 235:The 1965 act was introduced to Parliament as a 142:Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 421:Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, 526:Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 198:Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 22:Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 442:HL Deb 18 December 1969 vol 306 cc1264-1321 389: 387: 287:, as well as other capital offences under 140:, Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, 553:Capital punishment in the United Kingdom 521:Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Bill 476:Brian P. Block; John Hostettler (1997). 342:Capital punishment in the United Kingdom 384: 275:" (piracy with intent to kill or cause 548:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1965 535: 438:HC Deb 16 December 1969 vol 793 cc1297 308:Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 243:MP. The act provides that charges of 182:Text of statute as originally enacted 175:History of passage through Parliament 393: 364: 362: 258: 13: 469: 189:Revised text of statute as amended 14: 574: 495: 359: 206:Parliament of the United Kingdom 39:Parliament of the United Kingdom 32: 310:, abolishing Stormont, and the 294:The 1965 act did not extend to 427: 415: 394:Seal, Lizzie (12 March 2019). 375: 300:Parliament of Northern Ireland 138:Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974 134:Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1973 1: 223: 558:Murder in the United Kingdom 7: 325: 320:Crime and Disorder Act 1998 10: 579: 18:United Kingdom legislation 228:The 1965 act amended the 187: 180: 173: 166: 155: 146:Criminal Justice Act 2003 130:Criminal Justice Act 1967 125: 120: 110: 100: 95: 79: 69: 56: 45: 31: 26: 352: 281:arson in royal dockyards 265:murdering John Alan West 81:Territorial extent  563:Anti–death penalty laws 511:Indexes of mentions in 306:Westminster passed the 337:Murder in English law 316:Human Rights Act 1998 237:private member's bill 218:imprisonment for life 150:Armed Forces Act 2006 543:English criminal law 401:BBC History Magazine 302:at Stormont. During 277:grievous bodily harm 273:piracy with violence 480:. Waterside Press. 208:. It abolished the 23: 506:legislation.gov.uk 453:. 16 December 2008 214:mandatory sentence 21: 259:Subsequent events 230:Homicide Act 1957 194: 193: 121:Other legislation 86:England and Wales 27:Act of Parliament 570: 491: 463: 462: 460: 458: 431: 425: 419: 413: 412: 410: 408: 391: 382: 379: 373: 366: 296:Northern Ireland 241:Sydney Silverman 82: 74:Sydney Silverman 36: 35: 24: 20: 578: 577: 573: 572: 571: 569: 568: 567: 533: 532: 498: 488: 472: 470:Further reading 467: 466: 456: 454: 445: 432: 428: 420: 416: 406: 404: 392: 385: 380: 376: 367: 360: 355: 328: 261: 226: 169: 168:Status: Amended 116:9 November 1965 106:8 November 1965 80: 41: 33: 19: 12: 11: 5: 576: 566: 565: 560: 555: 550: 545: 531: 530: 529: 528: 523: 509: 497: 496:External links 494: 493: 492: 486: 471: 468: 465: 464: 426: 414: 383: 374: 357: 356: 354: 351: 350: 349: 344: 339: 334: 327: 324: 260: 257: 245:capital murder 225: 222: 200:(c. 71) is an 192: 191: 185: 184: 178: 177: 171: 170: 167: 164: 163: 157: 153: 152: 127: 123: 122: 118: 117: 114: 108: 107: 104: 98: 97: 93: 92: 83: 77: 76: 71: 67: 66: 60: 54: 53: 49: 43: 42: 37: 29: 28: 17: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 575: 564: 561: 559: 556: 554: 551: 549: 546: 544: 541: 540: 538: 527: 524: 522: 519: 518: 516: 515: 510: 507: 503: 500: 499: 489: 487:1-872870-47-3 483: 479: 474: 473: 452: 448: 443: 439: 435: 430: 424: 418: 403: 402: 397: 390: 388: 378: 371: 365: 363: 358: 348: 345: 343: 340: 338: 335: 333: 332:Death penalty 330: 329: 323: 321: 317: 313: 309: 305: 301: 297: 292: 290: 286: 282: 278: 274: 270: 266: 256: 254: 250: 249:sunset clause 246: 242: 238: 233: 231: 221: 219: 215: 211: 210:death penalty 207: 203: 199: 190: 186: 183: 179: 176: 172: 165: 161: 158: 154: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 128: 124: 119: 115: 113: 109: 105: 103: 99: 94: 91: 87: 84: 78: 75: 72: 70:Introduced by 68: 64: 61: 59: 55: 50: 48: 44: 40: 30: 25: 16: 512: 477: 455:. Retrieved 450: 433: 429: 417: 405:. Retrieved 399: 377: 372:of this act. 370:section 3(1) 304:the Troubles 293: 289:military law 269:high treason 262: 234: 227: 197: 195: 112:Commencement 102:Royal assent 15: 407:8 September 253:resolutions 537:Categories 224:Provisions 156:Relates to 126:Amended by 52:convicted. 47:Long title 423:section 4 285:espionage 326:See also 318:and the 90:Scotland 58:Citation 514:Hansard 457:25 June 434:Hansard 204:of the 484:  353:Notes 96:Dates 65:c. 71 482:ISBN 459:2017 409:2019 283:and 196:The 88:and 63:1965 451:BBC 444:; 440:, 291:. 279:), 271:, " 239:by 216:of 202:act 539:: 517:: 449:. 436:: 398:. 386:^ 361:^ 322:. 220:. 148:, 144:, 136:, 132:, 508:. 490:. 461:. 411:. 162:.

Index

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title
Citation
1965
Sydney Silverman
England and Wales
Scotland
Royal assent
Commencement
Criminal Justice Act 1967
Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1973
Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974
Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000
Criminal Justice Act 2003
Armed Forces Act 2006
Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
act
Parliament of the United Kingdom
death penalty
mandatory sentence
imprisonment for life
Homicide Act 1957
private member's bill
Sydney Silverman
capital murder
sunset clause
resolutions

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