Capital punishment in the United Kingdom Capital punishment in the United Kingdom Capital punishment in the United Kingdom was used from ancient times until the second half of the 20th century. The last executions in the United Kingdom were by hanging, and took place in 1964, prior to :capital punishment being abolished for murder (in 1965 in Great Britain and in 1973 in Northern Ireland). Although unused, the death penalty remained a legally defined punishment for certain offences such as treason until it was completely abolished in 1998. In 2004 the 13th Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights became binding on the United Kingdom,
World Day Against the Death Penalty World Day Against the Death Penalty World Day Against the Death Penalty (10 October) is a day to advocate for the abolition of the death penalty and to raise awareness of the conditions and the circumstances which affect prisonners with death sentences. The day was first organised by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty in 2003. It has since taken place annually on 10 October. The day is supported by numerous NGOs and world governments, including Amnesty International, the European Union and the United Nations. On 26 September 2007, the Council of Europe also declared 10 October to be