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,
United Nations moratorium on the death penalty Human Rights, that there is no conclusive evidence that the death penalty's deterrent value and that any miscarriage or failure of justice in the death penalty's implementation is irreversible and irreparable, "Welcoming" the decisions taken by an increasing number of States to apply a moratorium on executions, followed in many cases by the abolition of the death penalty, 1. "Expresses its deep concern" about the continued application of the death penalty; 2. "Calls upon" all States that still maintain the death penalty to; (a) Respect international standards that provide safeguards guaranteeing the protection of the rights of those facing the