Calls for death penalty after London policeman shot
01 January 1991
Calls for death penalty after London policeman shot
artdoc April=1992
The murder of PC Laurence Brown, aged 27, in Hackney, east
London, has brought renewed calls from the Police Federation for
the restoration of capital punishment for murder. The Federation
declared that `the death penalty should be available to the
courts for the offence of murder. We believe that it would have
a deterrent effect.'
It is suggested that Parliament might be asked to vote on the
restoration of capital punishment during the passage of the
Criminal justice Bill due to be introduced later this year. It
had been thought that the issue would not be raised again before
the next General Election, as MPs have previously voted twice in
this Parliament by large majorities against the death penalty.
However, it is thought that the new Home Secretary, David
Waddington, unlike his predecessors, would speak and vote in
favour of the death penalty, along with the Prime Minister. Their
combined influence may make the vote much closer next time.
(Guardian 28.8.90)
Institute of Race Relations, Police-Media Bulletin, no 63