South Holland and the Deepings MP John Hayes has had his plea for a return of the death penalty knocked down by the government’s justice minister.
Mr Hayes wrote to the Secretary of State for Justice on the issue of violent crime, and asked the “potential merits” of reinstating the death penalty be explored.
In a written response, Edward Argar, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice), said in response that capital punishment does not deter violent crime and the rather than bring it back, the government is working to abolish the punishment globally.
“The government opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and has no plans to reintroduce it.
“We are also actively advocating for the global abolition of the death penalty,” he wrote.
“This includes meeting with foreign delegations, who have the death penalty, to set out our alternative sentencing framework.”
Mr Argar also said there was a risk innocent lives would be lost.
“There is no evidence that capital punishment acts as a deterrent to violent crime.
“Furthermore, the reintroduction of the death penalty would bring with it the very real risk that some innocent people would die,” Mr Argar concluded.
