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
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