Bishop of Worcester asks about contradictory nature of the death penalty

The Bishop of Worcester asked a question on the problematic nature of the judicial death penalty during a debate on capital punishment and UK membership of the Council of Europe on 2oth February 2023:

The Lord Bishop of Worcester: My Lords, in view of the comments to which the noble Baroness, Lady Chakrabarti, has drawn attention, does the Minister agree that there is something deeply ironic about a society condemning the taking of a person’s life, and in order to demonstrate exactly how strongly it does so, doing exactly that through a judicial killing?

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Con): My Lords, I am not quite clear as to the premise of the right reverend Prelate’s question. However, I do agree with him that when we articulate policies from the Dispatch Box in your Lordships’ House or the other place, we should articulate what those views are and what the law is. Let me say once again for clarity that the Government have no plans to introduce capital punishment domestically, and we will continue to oppose the death penalty internationally.

Hansard

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