In Focus: The Death Penalty Across the Globe
| Published date | 01 June 2021 |
| Date | 01 June 2021 |
| DOI | 10.1177/20419058211022934 |
20 POLITICAL INSIGHT • JUNE 2021
In Focus
The Death Penalty
Across the Globe
Benjamin D. Hennig maps the use of
capital punishment around the world.
Everyone’s right to life shall be protected
by law. No one shall be deprived of his life
intentionally save in the execution of a sentence
of a court following his conviction of a crime for
which this penalty is provided by law.
The European Convention on Human
Rights (ECHR) came into force as
a legally-binding international
treaty in 1953. The right to life
as stated in Article 2 of the current version
of the ECHR, above, constitutes one of the
most fundamental values of the democratic
societies making up the Council of Europe.
In 2003, the convention added a protocol
committing to the abolition of the death
penalty in all circumstances. All members of
the Council of Europe ratied the protocol,
apart from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia.
(Armenia signed but did not ratify.)
The current state of the death penalty across
Europe reects a predominantly abolitionist
view domestically but also in international
relations. Belarus, not a member of the Council
of Europe, remains the only country on the
continent where the death penalty remains in
use. Almost all European countries have fully
abolished capital punishment.
The United Kingdom was one of the
founding members of the ECHR in 1949. Indeed,
Britain’s commitment to the organisation was
reiterated in the political declaration between
the European Union and the UK in 2019: ‘The
future relationship should incorporate the
United Kingdom's continued commitment
to respect the framework of the European
Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).’
eectively distances the UK further from the
ECHR and the inuence of the European
Court of Human Rights. While no political
observer seriously expects the UK to re-
introduce the death penalty, Britain’s (so far)
principled opposition to the death penalty in
international relations might be threatened
when new global alliances are sought after the
exit from the European Union.
The death penalty still prevails even in some
democratic countries. The US is the most
notorious culprit. Twenty-eight states still
allow capital punishment. Executions reached
their lowest gure in almost 13 years, with a
total of 17 executions in 2020. At the same
time, there was a resumption of US federal
executions under President Donald Trump.
These are executions that are not conducted
However, the UK has decided to cease
following the EU Charter of Fundamental
Rights and Boris Johnson’s government has
announced plans to replace the Human
Rights Act with a ‘British Bill of Rights’, which
Political Insight June 2021 BU.indd 20Political Insight June 2021 BU.indd 20 12/05/2021 15:3412/05/2021 15:34
To continue reading
Request your trial