Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 all sentences of death were to be commuted to sentences of life imprisonment. The legislation contained a sunset clause, which stated that the Act would expire on 31 July 1970 "unless Parliament by affirmative resolutions of both Houses otherwise determines". This was done in 1969 and the Act was made permanent. The Act left four capital offences: high treason, "piracy with violence" (piracy with intent to kill or cause grievous bodily harm), arson in royal dockyards and espionage, as well as other capital offences under military law. The death penalty was not finally abolished in the United Kingdom until 1998
Treason Act 1800 It further provided that nothing in the Treason Act 1695 or the Treason Act 1708 was to extend to any indictment for high treason consisting of compassing or imagining the death of the King, or for misprision of such treason, which alleged any of the overt acts specified above. It further provided that nothing contained in the Act was to be construed to affect the penalty for treason fixed by law. The provisions of the Act were amended and extended to all cases of treason and misprision of treason by section 1 of the Treason Act 1945; subject to a