Capital punishment in the United Kingdom espionage from "all spies for the enemy" to spies on naval ships or bases. Later, the Armed Forces Act 1981 abolished the death penalty for espionage. (The Official Secrets Act 1911 had created another offence of espionage which carried a maximum sentence of fourteen years.) Beheading was abolished as a method of execution for treason in 1973. Hanging, however, remained available until 1998 when, under a House of Lords amendment to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, proposed by Lord Archer of Sandwell, the death penalty was abolished for treason and piracy with violence, replacing it with a discretionary maximum
Death penalty in the Bible Rashi says that there must be two witnesses of a murder for a murderer to receive the death penalty, because murder destroys the image of God. Certain sins are punishable by death in the Torah, including idolatry, taking God's name in vain, violation of the Sabbath, rebellion against parents, murder, and adultery. In 1 Kings 18:40, Elijah kills the prophets of Baal. The Talmud explains that, while Elijah himself deserved death for offering sacrifice on a mountain, the mitzvot Elijah had contravened was abrogated. John 8:3-11 records a woman caught in adultery being brought to Jesus for judgment. Jesus does