Do you think the government of Mr Blair should now support the re-introduction of the death penalty?

mcfifi

The problem with this is being sure you're hanging the right person.

Over the last 10 years there have been literally hundreds of people convicted of murder who were subsequently proved to be innocent.

Look at the Guildford 4 and the Birminham 6, to quote just two high profile examples.

At least if you give someone a life sentence you can let them out if it turns out the police fitted them up.

Paddy B

The British government was against the execution of Saddam and has said so quite clearly.

Mordent

You cannot be a member of the EU and have the death penalty. It's as simple as that. If you want the EU to throw us out with all the economic catastrophe that this would bring, fine, go ahead, bring back the death penalty. Before you do, however, consider the fact that around 50% of those executed have in recent years been proved to have been wrongfully killed. Would you like to run the risk of killing innocent people and letting the actual criminal escape 'justice'? Or does it all balance out as long as SOMEONE dies for their crimes?

enigma_variation

Actually Blair has gone on record stating that he and the government oppose the death penalty but it would have been wrong to intervene in the Iraqi legal system (although blowing up the previous one in an illegal war is presumably ok.)

The death penalty doesn't solve anything, the victims of the condemmed dont rise like lazarous once the lever has been thrown therefore it is purly an act of revenge which makes murderers of each and every citizen.

Opposing the death penalty in Saddam's and everybody else's case does not mean you condone the horrible crimes they committed

Emma L

Blairs governement or any other will never reinstate the death penalty. Labour and the Bristish government did not support the execution of Saddam Hussien, and this i one reason the trial has been judged illegitimate by many UK observers. I don't care what people say murder is murder whether endorsed by the government of not. As a seperate issue there is the case of when someone is executed for a crime they did not commit, this cannot happen in the UK for we do not have execution.

I hope and pray that capital punishment is never reintroduced in the UK, but as i said 99% of politicians feel the same way. Killing is never right or ok.

Raymo

The re-introduction of a death penalty would be a free vote for the whole of parliament. This subject has been debated for most of the 20th Century and in keeping with most civilised democracies, the United Kingdom is likely never to re-introduce the death penalty.

Eloise(bristol)

Blair's Govenrment did not support the use of the death penalty for Saddam Hussain. Our government supports the sovereignity of individual states and the ability to run their own country. For example, if the US wishes to continue to use the death penalty then that it is own government's perogative. However, it could easily be said that this spectator approach Blair seems to want to be seen following had not been consistent with the intervention in Iraq in the first place.

Bapboy

He doesn't support the death penalty per se - the official line on this one is no, Blair does not support the use of the death penalty - however he is satisfied that Saddam is in the hands of the Iraqi courts and he should be tried and punished according to his country's laws.
This won't have any bearing on the government's stance on the death penalty.

Benjamin J

Well no, as they have quite clearly not supported the use of the death penalty -the Foreign Secretary made this statement on behalf of the British Governement after Saddam's execution:

"The British government does not support the use of the death penalty, in Iraq or anywhere else. We advocate an end to the death penalty worldwide, regardless of the individual or the crime.

"We have made our position very clear to the Iraqi authorities, but we respect their decision as that of a sovereign nation."

elaine692981

The government of Mr Blair should represent the people so the British public should be consulted on this. There are too many loop holes in the argument you present. The only good one is the one round Saddam's neck. He does represent a particularly evil brand of killer. He is not sorry for what he has done, believes his own death will make him a martyr and so gain him points in paradise. What kind of distorted thinking, believing can allow this evil to continue in our world......................................

Weatherman

Why Blair

He's out of a job before the next election.

As for reintroducing the death penalty to the UK, it won't happen.

But that is no reason for Saddam not to have been executed, he was tried under Iraqi law and they have the death penalty.

ohwiseone

Yes we should bring it back so we can hang Blair and Bush and scrap it again after that.....those 2 men have more blood on there hands than Saddam could have ever dreamed of.....

deadly

Only if they all try it out themselves.

albertwilson2572@btinternet.com

yes i do think they shoud support the death penalty as long as George bush and lapdog Blair share the gallows at the same time
it will save our forces lives and money but in the long term it will bring peace to the world

BUNNY!

I don't believe that Tony Blair should reinstate the death penalty. He is too close to the end of his career to make big changes like that. Yes he may have supported the exucutuion of Saddam but Saddam was/will be hanged in Iraq and not in the UK or the USA

Mr Sceptic

Blair's government has been entirely consistent in its criticism of the death sentence on Saddam - it did not offer support for this act. If you can't get a basic and well-reported fact like this right, then any of your arguments are suspect.

Blair has always opposed the death penalty; Bush has always supported it. Your attempt to 'shoe-horn' a comment about the Blair-Bush relationship into this matter further undermines your credibility.

In re-introducing the death penalty you would have to be absolutely clear about what you hope to achieve.

It does not deter - FACT. Most murders are not planned and are not carried out with the belief that the murderer will be caught. Someone who does not think they will be caught, isn't likely to worry about the consequences of detection.

It punishes. No doubt, it is an extreme punishment for an extreme crime. But as has been pointed out - it leaves no room for error. You can attempt to compensate someone wrongly imprisoned for 20 years, but someone wrongly executed is a little more tricky.

You mention killers of British children.
Can you explain why killing a child is more serious than killing an adult? Or is that just emotional garbage?
Why only British children? Would you value the life of a foreign child less?

The cost argument is brought up - it is expensive to keep people in jail - so is the appeal process. I'm assuming you would allow appeals. Evidence from USA suggests that the cost argument is spurious.

There are valid arguments for capital punishment - I don't happen to agree with them, but a compelling case can be made.

The problem is that your thinking on the matter is too woolly and inconsistent for you to present a credible case.

Bob G

It has nothing to do with what President Bush wants. It has to do with what the people of the UK want. The obvious and rational question is whether or not the people want the death penalty reinstated.

Perhaps I misunderstand you. What does British law have to do with Blair supporting the Iraqis enforcing their own laws? Those are two seperate and unrelated things.

mrhoppy22

Personally no the British government is not comfortable with this. But just like your lap dog will bite you if you piss it off enough. An eye for eye eh? I would of Let him rot and live with what he has done that is far more satisfyingly to me.

We can only hope... it is too bad all nations don't have, and enforce, the death penalty.

chrisatyork

yes time the death penalty was brought back and murder put on a scale like in the usa (i.e murder 1 which should be child killers etc)

â™¥~C.J~â™¥

yes they should hunni

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