Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965

1965 c.71

An Act to abolish capital punishment in the case of persons convicted in Great Britain of murder or convicted of murder or a corresponding offence by court-martial and, in connection therewith, to make further provision for the punishment of persons so convicted.

Enacted[8th November 1965]^E1

1 Abolition of death penalty for murder.¶

^C11 No person shall suffer death for murder, and a person convicted of murder shall ^F1. . . be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

^F7^C12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^C13 For the purpose of any proceedings on or subsequent to a person’s trial on a charge of capital murder, that charge and any plea or finding of guilty of capital murder shall be treated as being or having been a charge, or a plea or finding of guilty, of murder only; and if at the commencement of this Act a person is under sentence of death for murder, the sentence shall have effect as a sentence of imprisonment for life.

^F84 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^F3¶

3 Short title, repeal, extent and commencement.¶

1 This Act may be cited as the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965.

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^F4

^F93 This Act ^F9... shall not extend to Northern Ireland.

4 This Act shall come into force on the day following that on which it is passed.

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^F5¶

^F6^F6SCHEDULE ¶

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ^F6

Footnotes

E1
For extent of this Act in relation to Northern Ireland see s. 3(3)
C1
S. 1(1)(2)(3) repealed (S.) except so far as relating to courts-martial, by Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), Sch. 10 Pt. I
F1
Words in s. 1(1) repealed (25.8.2000) by 2000 c. 6, ss. 165(4), 168, Sch. 12 Pt. I (with Sch. 11 paras. 1, 2)
F2
S. 1(5) repealed (25.8.2000) by 2000 c. 6, ss. 165(4), 168, Sch. 12 Pt. I (with Sch. 11 paras. 1, 2)
F3
S. 2 repealed by Criminal Justice Act 1967 (c. 80), Sch. 7 Pts. I, II
F4
S. 3(2) repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974 (c. 22), Sch. Pt. XI
F5
S. 4 repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1973 (c. 39), Sch. 1 Pt. V
F6
Sch. repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974 (c. 22), Sch. Pt. XI
F7
S. 1(2) repealed (18.12.2003) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(2), Sch. 37 Pt. 8
F8
S. 1(4) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4
F9
Words in s. 3(3) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059)