Article

The Shadow of the Gallows: The Death Penalty and the British Labour Government, 1945-51

By Victor Bailey / Law and History Review, on 1 January 2000



Exactly what went wrong and why is the theme of this article. How and why did the Labour government, despite its massive majority in Parliament and a long-standing commitment to abolition, fail to get rid of the death penalty? Why was this “window of opportunity” to abolish capital punishment shut for another decade and a half? The answers to these questions will be sought primarily in the realm of government and Parliament.

  • Document type Article
  • Countries list United Kingdom
  • Themes list Public opinion, Public debate,



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