On December 16, the Bermudan House of Assembly voted...

On December 16, the Bermudan House of Assembly voted to abolish hanging and flogging in the British territory after debating the controversial proposal well into the night. The House voted 19-13 to abolish the death penalty. Premier Jennifer Smith, ruling Progressive Labour Party (PLP) Government, pushed through the controversial proposal, required by Britain under its White Paper on relations with its overseas territories, despite an opposition party poll indicating two-thirds of Bermudans support the death penalty. In this White Paper on overseas territories, the British Government warned it might end the death penalty by act of parliament if Bermuda did not do so voluntarily. In support of an end to the death penalty, Premier Jennifer Smith said: "If we value all life, then when any life is taken it's a tragedy. All life is sacrificed." Opposition United Bermuda Party (UBP) leader and former Premier Pamela Gordon attacked the Government for rushing to abolish the death penalty and corporal punishment without coming up with alternative deterrents to crime. "What's wrong with the Government stepping back for a year or so, so they are able to put in place proper sentencing, a proper rehabilitation program and half-way houses?" Gordon asked. The proposal generated emotional debate on the House floor before a vote was taken at about 3:45 a.m., after 8 hours of debate. "The concept of an eye for an eye is barbaric, and if we really enforced that, everyone would be walking around blind," Health Minister Nelson Bascome said in support of the move.