The abolition of the death penalty
Archive theme
The association places countries in four states: retentionist, abolitionist in practice — no executions for at least ten years —, abolitionist for ordinary crimes, and abolitionist for all crimes. Moving from one state to the next is almost always slow: first the executions stop, then the law changes.
This page collects the news on abolitions, legislative reforms, constitutional rulings and changes of state. The current legal status of every country is in the database.
Latest news
- JANUARY 1, 2001ColombiaDEATH PENALTY
Colombia abolished the death penalty in 1910
Colombia abolished the death penalty in 1910
- JANUARY 1, 2001North DakotaDEATH PENALTY
North Dakota does not have the death penalty
North Dakota does not have the death penalty
- JANUARY 1, 2001MinnesotaDEATH PENALTY
Minnesota abolished the death penalty in 1911
Minnesota abolished the death penalty in 1911
- JANUARY 1, 2001FranceDEATH PENALTY
France has been abolitionist since 1981
France has been abolitionist since 1981
- JANUARY 1, 2001SpainDEATH PENALTY
The country has been abolitionist since 1995; the last...
The country has been abolitionist since 1995; the last execution was conducted in 1975 under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who repressed Basque culture and language during his 36 years in power
- JANUARY 1, 2001NetherlandsDEATH PENALTY
The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1983) at Art
- JANUARY 1, 2001SwitzerlandDEATH PENALTY
After abolishing the death penalty for ordinary crimes...
After abolishing the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 1942, Switzerland has been fully abolitionist since 1992; the last execution was conducted in 1944
- JANUARY 1, 2001San MarinoDEATH PENALTY
San Marino abolished the death penalty for ordinary...
San Marino abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 1848, fully abolished it in 1865, and the last execution took place way back in 1468
- JANUARY 1, 2001AustriaDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria...
The Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria (1920 as amended in 1968) at Art
- JANUARY 1, 2001LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On April 15, 1999, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish...
On April 15, 1999, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish the death penalty
- JANUARY 1, 2001DenmarkDEATH PENALTY
Denmark has been abolitionist since 1978
Denmark has been abolitionist since 1978
- JANUARY 1, 2001AngolaDEATH PENALTY
The Constitution approved in 1992 abolished the death...
The Constitution approved in 1992 abolished the death penalty
- JANUARY 1, 2001LiechtensteinDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished for all crimes on January...
The death penalty was abolished for all crimes on January 1, 1989
- JANUARY 1, 2001MoldovaDEATH PENALTY
Moldova abolished the death penalty in December 1995
Moldova abolished the death penalty in December 1995
- NOVEMBER 30, 2000JapanDEATH PENALTY
Activists in strongly anti-death penalty Italy picketed...
Activists in strongly anti-death penalty Italy picketed outside the Japanese Embassy in protest of Japan's hanging of three murderers
- NOVEMBER 29, 2000FinlandDEATH PENALTY
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said he wanted to enhance...
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said he wanted to enhance the role of human rights in the Finnish foreign policy on presenting a new report on the government's human rights policy to the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee
- NOVEMBER 19, 2000CzechiaDEATH PENALTY
The Freedom Union Deputy chairman Vladimir Mlynar believes...
The Freedom Union Deputy chairman Vladimir Mlynar believes that Europe might resume a discussion on the introduction of the death sentence in the future and that the Czech Republic should take part in it
- NOVEMBER 8, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
The Council of Europe (COE) Ministers Committee approved...
The Council of Europe (COE) Ministers Committee approved a statement which targets making Europe a continent totally free of capital punishment
- NOVEMBER 6, 2000ChileDEATH PENALTY
The Chilean senate voted to end the death penalty and...
The Chilean senate voted to end the death penalty and increase the number of years that must be served under a life sentence
- NOVEMBER 3, 2000ItalyDEATH PENALTY
During a ministerial conference on human rights held...
During a ministerial conference on human rights held by the Council of Europe at the Italian Foreign Ministry, it was said that following the signing of the European Convention on Human Rights, the main priorities lay in obtaining the aboltion of the deat
- OCTOBER 6, 2000TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Walter Schwimmer, the Secretary General of the Council...
Walter Schwimmer, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (COE), said that he believed Turkey would take the necessary steps to abolish capital punishment
- OCTOBER 2, 2000United KingdomDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty for murder was abolished in Britain...
The death penalty for murder was abolished in Britain on December 18, 1969
- SEPTEMBER 22, 2000TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Turkish Council of Ministers adopted a report prepared...
The Turkish Council of Ministers adopted a report prepared by the Human Rights Supreme Board which foresees the abolition of the capital punishment as a reference document
- SEPTEMBER 14, 2000JapanDEATH PENALTY
Policy planners of the three ruling parties-the Liberal...
Policy planners of the three ruling parties-the Liberal Democratic Party(LDP), New Komeito and Hoshuto (New Conservative Party)-decided to look into revising the Penal Code to pave the way for the introduction of life imprisonment without parole
- SEPTEMBER 1, 2000ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
Legal Affairs Minister Vincent Malambo said that Zambia...
Legal Affairs Minister Vincent Malambo said that Zambia would not abolish the death penalty until it had achieved full national consensus on the issue
- AUGUST 30, 2000CameroonDEATH PENALTY
Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT)...
Christian Action for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT) released a report accusing a special military squad called Operational Command for killing around 50 people in the city of Douala between May and July during a crackdown on criminals
- AUGUST 24, 2000South AfricaDEATH PENALTY
Jonny Steinberg, an opponent of capital punishment...
Jonny Steinberg, an opponent of capital punishment and a consultant at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation wrote about capital punishment in South Africa
- AUGUST 1, 2000Côte d’IvoireDEATH PENALTY
With the promulgation of the new constitution, the...
With the promulgation of the new constitution, the Ivory Coast formally abolished the death penalty
- JULY 22, 2000IndiaDEATH PENALTY
A number of Indian legal experts and social rights...
A number of Indian legal experts and social rights activists called for the abolition of the death penalty in the country, saying it had no deterring effect as perceived in some quarters
- JULY 16, 2000TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Democratic Left Party and Motherland Party have...
The Democratic Left Party and Motherland Party have developed a formula to persuade another ruling partner, the Nationalist Action Party, to accept the abolition of the death sentence from the Turkish Penal Code