>
> I also seem to remember that until not too long ago the opening or
interception of postal mail was a capital
> offence.
Unlikely.
The Convention abolished capital punishment except in times of war a
*long* time ago. And the 13th protocol, which came into effect in 2003-4
removed even that last exception.
Nigel
PS: Wikipedia, however, puts it better than me. It reads:
Under a House of Lords amendment to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998,
proposed by Lord Archer of Sandwell, the death penalty was abolished for
treason and piracy with violence, replacing it with a discretionary
maximum sentence of life imprisonment. These were the last civilian
offences punishable with death.
On 20 May 1998 the House of Commons voted to ratify the 6th Protocol of
the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting capital punishment
except "in time of war or imminent threat of war."
The last remaining provisions for the death penalty under military
jurisdiction (including in wartime) were removed when section 21(5) of
the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force on 9 November 1998.
The UK later (10 October 2003; effective from 1 February 2004[7])
acceded to the 13th Protocol, which prohibits the death penalty under
all circumstances,[8] so that the UK may no longer legislate to restore
the death penalty while it is subject to the Convention.
--
Nigel Roberts, Director, Island Networks
4&5 St Anne's Walk, Alderney GY9 3JZ (via UK)
Tel. 0800 288 8978 (toll-free) or 0870 321 2281 (direct)
International: +44 1481 822800 Mobile +423 663 178200
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