On December 16, 1969, the British House of Commons voted decisively, with 343 members in favour and 185 against, to abolish the death penalty. This historic decision became a key moment in the British legal and human rights history.
It followed years of debate and advocacy that resulted in the permanent establishment of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965. This act, initially passed as a temporary measure, had already suspended capital punishment for murder in Great Britain, replacing it with mandatory life imprisonment.
The 1969 vote extended and solidified the act’s provisions and permanently outlawed the death penalty for murder in England, Scotland, and Wales. This decision showed the changing societal attitudes and was a milestone in the global movement to abolish capital punishment which many people view as too harsh.
Other key events on this day
1. Heavy earthquake ravaged Kansu China and killed 70,000 – 1932
2. President Clinton ordered air attack on Iraq – 1998
3. Two airplanes collided over New York City – 1960
4. Hitler established Mother’s Cross to encourage German women to procreate – 1938
5. Indo-Pakistani War ended – 1071
6. Grace Alele-Williams, professor of mathematics and the first Nigerian woman to become a university VC was born – 1932.
