Hanging

Hanging is a form of execution, or a method for suicide.

Britain

Until 1808 the law in Britain offered the death penalty for some 200 offenses, including:

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• attempting suicide
• being in the company of gypsies for one month,
• vagrancy for soldiers and sailors,
• "strong evidence of malice" in children aged 7–14 years old.

A variety of loopholes in British criminal law, together with judicial leniency, tempered the law's tendency to prescribe hanging for what many would today consider minor offences. First-time offenders could escape a capital sentence for some crimes through the benefit of clergy, and of those criminals actually sentenced to death, many were later pardoned. Only about half the death sentences pronounced at common law in the 18th century were carried out, and by the beginning of the 19th century, growing doubt over the appropriateness of capital punishment led to nearly 90% of British capital sentences being commuted to lesser punishments.

Related Topics:
Benefit of clergy - Pardon

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Between 1832 and 1834 Parliament abolished the death penalty for:

Related Topics:
1832 - 1834 - Parliament

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• shoplifting goods worth five shillings (£0.25) or less,
• returning from Transportation,
• letter-stealing, and
• sacrilege.

In 1861The Parliament reduced the number of capital crimes to four:

Related Topics:
1861 - Capital crime

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• murder,
• treason,
• arson in Royal Dockyards, and
• piracy with violence.

Britain ended public hangings in 1868, and formally abolished the hanging, beheading, and quartering of traitors in 1870.

Related Topics:
Public hanging - 1868 - Beheading - 1870

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In 1965 the death penalty was abolished for murder, and since 1998 it is no longer imposed for any crimes.

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