United Kingdom
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- constitutional monarchy
- CONSTITUTION
- unwritten, partly common law, partly customs and statutes
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on common law traditions with some influences from the modern Roman and continental system, acts of Parliament are not reviewed by the judiciary
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, House of Commons and House of Lords
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- House of Lords (is the highest court of appeal) some Lords are appointed for life by the Queen
RELIGIONS
Christians 59.5%, Muslims 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, others 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7%
From the country
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
Foreign Minister Robin Cook stated the Government's...
Foreign Minister Robin Cook stated the Government's plans to appoint a special envoy on the death penalty as part of a worldwide campaign to abolish capital punishment
- JULY 20, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
ITV's Teletext service conducted its own phone-in poll...
ITV's Teletext service conducted its own phone-in poll on whether the murderers of children should be hanged
- JULY 3, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
David Anthony Chell, was found guilty at the Malaysian...
David Anthony Chell, was found guilty at the Malaysian High Court of smuggling 665 grams of heroin into the Asian country and subsequently sentenced to death by hanging
- JUNE 10, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
William Hague, the leader of the opposition said in...
William Hague, the leader of the opposition said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that he backed capital punishment, although he recognised that it was unlikely to be restored
- APRIL 27, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain welcomed the adoption...
Foreign Office Minister Peter Hain welcomed the adoption of the European Union's resolution on the death penalty at the Commission on Human Rights
- APRIL 26, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
United Kingdom cosponsored and voted in favour of the...
United Kingdom cosponsored and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 26 (no
- DECEMBER 10, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
On December 10, Britain ratified the Second Optional...
On December 10, Britain ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- JUNE 29, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
On June 29, apropos of the death sentence awarded to...
On June 29, apropos of the death sentence awarded to Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan, the Blair Government said that the sentence was a question that concerned the Turkish authorities, but that the Government and the European Union would continue to insist un
- MAY 1, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
In May, The UK ratified Protocol No
In May, The UK ratified Protocol No
- APRIL 28, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
United Kingdom was a cosponsor and voted in favor of...
United Kingdom was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28, 1999 (1999/61)
- APRIL 12, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
On April 12, Home Secretary Jack Straw said that the...
On April 12, Home Secretary Jack Straw said that the conviction of Derek Bentley, who was found guilty of murder and hanged in 1953, was overturned on the basis of mistakes by the trial judge and for this reason his case fell outside the compensation sche
- MARCH 31, 1999United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
On March 31, UK representative Mr Fatchett reiterated...
On March 31, UK representative Mr Fatchett reiterated at the UN Commission on Human Rights the United Kingdom's full support for the statement made on behalf of the European Union by Joschka Fischer