Closed petition Hold a referendum on whether capital punishment should be restored

Closed on 3 January 2023

I want the Government to hold a referendum on whether capital punishment, for certain crimes of the utmost gravity, should be restored as a sentence, as an alternative to life imprisonment. We believe the current prison system does not- adequately deter offenders.

In response to other petitions (for example e-petition 304809) the Government has stated that it does not wish to bring back this penalty. I think it should be for the electorate to decide whether it believes for the most heinous crimes that sentence should carry the death penalty. Then, the Government may consider whether to legislate to that effect. But to preclude the electorate to decide, would be to try to preclude democracy. Recent polls suggest that the electorate would vote in favour of the death penalty, for certain offences.