A UK government minister has called for a review of the death penalty after the country’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that death sentences can only be imposed on those found guilty of “crimes against humanity”.
The ruling was taken by a three-judge bench which ruled that there are “reasonable grounds” for considering capital punishment for certain crimes.
The government has already introduced changes to the penal code, but there are concerns about whether they will be followed in practice, including whether they could be applied retroactively.
In a statement, Justice James Larkin said: “The Supreme Court’s decision is a clear statement that the death sentence is not only appropriate for certain cases, but also for those of the most heinous nature.”
This will be particularly important for people convicted of genocide, war crimes, war crime against humanity, genocide, crimes against humanity against humanity and other serious crimes.
“He added: “This is a very important decision and it will help to ensure that the punishment is used appropriately.
“Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We have taken decisive action to ensure the death of a British citizen, Michael O’Neill, for a crime he did not commit.
“The death penalty has always been a last resort, and as such we have had to consider whether it should be applied in this case.”
If the Supreme Court rules in our favour, the decision will send a clear message to other nations that it is unacceptable to apply the death-penalty system retroactively to crimes against the state.
“The government also plans to introduce new laws to make it easier to appeal the death sentences, with more than 1,000 appeals to be carried out by the end of this year.
A spokesman for the Home Office said the UK would continue to review the death row system, and work with the Iranian authorities to find a way to minimise the impact on the country.”
The ruling came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in April that he was considering applying capital punishment, saying that he wanted to show that “every crime is punishable with death”.””
The UK is also in discussions with the authorities in Iran to review how executions are carried out and ensure that there is an appropriate judicial review process.”
The ruling came after Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in April that he was considering applying capital punishment, saying that he wanted to show that “every crime is punishable with death”.
“If I were to apply capital punishment I would show that every crime is also punishable by death,” Khamenei told state television.
“If this were to happen, the world would be saved.”