Tag: petition

Opposition to Death Penalty: UK Government’s Position


Government response to the petition

April 2026

The government has responded to the thousands who signed a petition concerning the Israeli government’s bill to enable the use of the death penalty against Palestinians with no chance of appeal. The response:

The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. The Government has raised concerns with the Government of Israel and will continue to do so. The Death Penalty for Terrorists bill introduces a mandatory death sentence for terrorism-related murders, with no right of appeal. The powers would in practice apply almost exclusively to military courts trying Palestinians in the West Bank. 

The UK has expressed our deep concern about the bill, as it would significantly expand the possibilities to impose the death penalty in Israel. We have been clear, publicly and privately, that we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances. The death penalty has not been used in Israel for over 60 years, and this legislation risks being a regressive step enabling its use. Following its passage at second and third readings in the Knesset the bill is now law subject to legal challenge via Israel’s independent judicial system.

The Foreign Secretary spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister and called for further plans to introduce this bill to be abandoned. On 29 March, the UK issued a joint statement with Foreign Ministers of Australia, Germany, France, Italy and New Zealand urging the Government of Israel to abandon plans for the death penalty bill. The statement can be found here: Joint statement on Israel’s Death Penalty Bill: 29 March 2026 –
GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-on-israels-death-penalty-bill-29-march-2026).

As set out in the statement, the UK and other signatories oppose the death penalty, reflecting a long-standing and shared commitment to abolition. The UK Government believes that the death penalty’s use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.

We particularly deplore any failure to observe the relevant international standards, defined by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.More broadly, the UK Government continues to call on the Government of Israel to uphold international law and human rights. This includes respecting the fundamental rights of detainees and prisoners, ensuring due process, and refraining from actions that risk further exacerbating tensions or inflaming an already fragile situation.

The UK continues to support international efforts to reduce violence, protect civilians, and promote respect for the rule of law. We firmly believe that lasting security for Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved through progress on the Gaza ceasefire and the 20-point plan, an end to the annexation threats and settler violence in the West Bank, and a realistic political horizon for the two-state solution. We will continue to work closely with international partners, including the United Nations and civil society, to promote human rights, accountability, and oppose the death penalty worldwide. We will keep developments under close review and continue to raise our concerns where legislation or policy risks undermining international legal norms.

The Government is grateful to those who have engaged through the petitions process. Public engagement on issues of human rights helps inform and strengthen the UK’s foreign policy, and we remain committed to advancing these values internationally.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 

Amnesty is opposed to the penalty in all circumstances and publishes a report on its use each month.

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Petition reaches major milestone


Petition to the UK government passes the critical 100,000

April 2026

The Israeli Knesset has just passed a bill which will permit the speedy execution of Palestinian prisoners. A petition has passed the crucial 100,000 mark which means the UK parliament must consider the issue. Human rights organisations and governments around the world have condemned the legislation which quite openly singles out Palestinians for execution without appeal. The trials will take place in a military court in the West Bank. Many will have been severely tortured and badly mistreated.

“We believe that such a law would constitute a complete violation of the Geneva Convention and International Human Rights Law. UN experts have called for these proposals to be dropped,” the petition reads. Human rights organisations, including Amnesty, have condemned the legislation, which has been described as ”one of the world’s most extreme death penalty laws,” over its design to target Palestinians, as it would exclude Israelis.

The petition shows the degree of concern that many have with this legislation and its brazen one-sidedness. To reach more than 100,000 is a measure of the public’s concern. It poses a problem for the government however which has supported Israel during the recent hostilities. Weapons, intelligence and overflights from Cyprus are part of its support.

It also puts in the spotlight the large numbers of MPs who are members of the various party’s Friends of Israel groups including the local MP for Salisbury Mr John Glen.

Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two members of Knesset who promoted this bill.

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Death Penalty for a 20 year old


A 20 year old man scheduled to be executed in Malaysia

We are asking you to spend a few moments to put your name to a petition being run by Amnesty Australia on behalf of a 20 year old man, Hew Yew Wah, in Malaysia who is condemned to death.  We are against the death penalty in all cases and this sentence is disproportionate for the crime he admits he committed.

Petition.

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Human Rights Act under threat again?


Government minister gives equivocal answer

January 2019

The threat by the current Conservative government to do away with the Human Rights Act (HRA) has lain dormant for some time due to the considerable time being devoted to the Brexit negotiations.  However, it reared its head again this week when a House of Lords EU Justice subcommittee asked a government minister for reassurance that it (the government) will not repeal or replace the act.

The Parliament Website has the following piece:

The House of Lords EU Justice Sub-Committee wrote to Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke in December regarding the rights of citizens post-Brexit.  The Committee sought an explanation for the dilution of the Government’s commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

Last week the Committee received a troubling response.  While again pledging an unchanging commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, the letter from Edward Argar MP, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, ended with reference to the Government’s intention to revisit the Human Rights Act once the process of leaving the EU is concluded.  18 January 2019 [accessed 22 January 2019 our italics]

This is very troubling.  The hostility of many ministers and politicians to the HRA is well known and echoes the frequent stories and campaigns in the tabloid press.  It is seen by some as a threat to our way or life and to giving terrorists and criminals a ‘get out of jail card’.

On the contrary, it is in our view, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the last 20 years.  It has shifted power away from the state and given ordinary people a means to challenge faulty decisions.  The Hillsborough enquiry is a recent example and would not have happened without it.  As an Amnesty spokesperson put it:

The Human Rights Act has been central to the vital pursuit of justice in this country for the last 20 years.  It is the unsung hero of UK life, holding powerful people and institutions to account when ordinary people are let down.  It is deeply concerning that the Government refuses to acknowledge that reality.

The Human Rights Act is a critical safety net for everyone in our society.  Any attempt to dilute or remove the essential protections the Human Rights Act provides should be categorically ruled out.

They are mounting a petition which you can take part in if you wish.

If the act is abolished, all that will happen is that we go back to the bad old days of people having to beat a path to Strasbourg to get justice.

Sources:  Amnesty, Rights Info, Parliament Website

If you live in the Salisbury or South Wilts area and would like to join us, you would be very welcome.  Keep and eye on this site or on Facebook @salisburyai for one of our events and come along and make yourself known.

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