The abolition of the death penalty begun in 1965 when...

The abolition of the death penalty begun in 1965 when hanging stopped being the punishment for murder. The last men to die after being condemned by the courts were Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans.
They were hanged at the same time in August 1964 at jails in Liverpool and Manchester for killing a laundry driver. In 1955, Ruth Ellis, 28, became the last woman to be hanged for shooting dead her unfaithful lover as he emerged from a pub.
Her conviction is expected to be overturned this year after the case was reviewed and sent to the Court of Appeal. Lawyers argue she was provoked into the killing.
The Armed Forces Act 2001 abolished the death penalty for Service offences regardless of the circumstances, and the Services no longer have retaining powers under the Service Discipline Acts to unilaterally re-introduce the death penalty.
The last British soldier to be executed for a military offence was a private in 1942 after he fought for the Nazis.