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History · Crime, punishment and law enforcement in recent times

The Abolition of the Death Penalty

Timothy Evans, Derek Bentley and Ruth Ellis - the cases that turned public opinion, and why Britain abolished hanging for murder in 1965.

  • c1900-present
  • 6 key terms
  • All boards
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Teacher resources

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Student handouts

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Learning Objectives

  1. 1Describe the cases of Timothy Evans, Derek Bentley and Ruth Ellis.
  2. 2Explain why the death penalty was abolished in 1965.
  3. 3Assess the arguments for and against the death penalty.

Setting the Scene

In 1900 murder was still punishable by hanging. By the 1950s a series of controversial cases had convinced many people that innocent or undeserving people were being executed. In 1965 Parliament suspended the death penalty for murder, and it was abolished permanently in 1969.

  1. 1950 Timothy Evans is hanged for the murder of his daughter.
  2. 1953 Derek Bentley, aged 19, is hanged; John Christie is revealed as a serial killer.
  3. 1955 Ruth Ellis becomes the last woman hanged in Britain.
  4. 1957 The Homicide Act limits the death penalty to certain types of murder.
  5. 1964 The last executions in Britain take place.
  6. 1965 The death penalty for murder is suspended for five years.
  7. 1969 Abolition is made permanent.

Three Cases That Changed Opinion

Each raised serious doubts about hanging.

  • Timothy Evans

    Hanged in 1950 for murdering his daughter. In 1953 his landlord, John Christie, was found to be a serial killer. Evans was pardoned in 1966.

  • Derek Bentley

    Aged 19 with learning difficulties, hanged in 1953 for a murder committed by his 16-year-old friend, who was too young to hang. Pardoned in 1993.

  • Ruth Ellis

    Shot her abusive lover in 1955 and became the last woman hanged in Britain, despite great public sympathy.

  • The problem

    An innocent man had been hanged, and an execution cannot be undone.

  • Fairness

    Bentley did not fire the gun, but he hanged while the killer lived.

  • Sympathy

    Many felt Ellis's circumstances should have been taken into account.

Why the Death Penalty Was Abolished

Several factors came together in the 1950s and 1960s.

  • Miscarriages of justice

    The Evans case proved that an innocent person could be hanged.

  • Changing attitudes

    Society became more concerned with human rights and the rehabilitation of offenders.

  • Campaigners

    MPs such as Sydney Silverman campaigned for years to end hanging.

  • Deterrence doubted

    There was little evidence that hanging deterred murderers more than life imprisonment.

For and Against the Death Penalty

Arguments for

  • Retribution: a life for a life.
  • May deter other murderers.
  • Protects the public permanently.

Arguments against

  • An innocent person could be executed, and it cannot be undone.
  • Little evidence it deters murder.
  • It is cruel and against human rights.

Summary & Exam Focus

  • The cases of Evans, Bentley and Ellis turned public opinion against hanging.
  • Evans's case proved that an innocent man could be executed.
  • The death penalty for murder was suspended in 1965 and abolished permanently in 1969.
  • Changing attitudes and campaigners such as Sydney Silverman drove the change.

Exam focus

Explain why the death penalty was abolished in 1965. (12 marks) (12 marks)

Use the three cases as evidence, and explain wider reasons too - changing attitudes, campaigners, doubts about deterrence.

Key terms

The vocabulary this lesson expects you to use. Each one is linked from the first place it appears above.

Capital punishment
Execution as a punishment for crime.
Abolition
Ending something completely, such as the death penalty.
Miscarriage of justice
When an innocent person is convicted of a crime.
Pardon
Official forgiveness, which can be given after death.
Homicide Act
The 1957 law limiting the death penalty to certain types of murder.
Retribution
Punishment as revenge for the harm done.

Questions and answers

9 questions set on this lesson, with the mark schemes and model answers open.

1. Exam question Explain one way 4 marks Foundation

Explain one way in which the case of Timothy Evans was different from the case of Derek Bentley.

Mark scheme — 4 marks available

  • A valid difference identified — 1-2 marks
  • Supported with specific knowledge of both cases — 3-4 marks

Model answer

Timothy Evans was hanged in 1950 for the murder of his daughter, but he was later shown to be innocent when his landlord, John Christie, was found to be a serial killer in 1953; Evans was pardoned in 1966. Derek Bentley was hanged in 1953 for a murder that was actually committed by his friend Christopher Craig, who fired the shot but was too young to hang. So the difference is that Evans was innocent of any killing, while Bentley was involved in the crime but did not fire the fatal shot.

2. Exam question Explain why 12 marks Stretch

Explain why the death penalty was abolished in 1965. You may use the following in your answer: Timothy Evans; Ruth Ellis. You must also use information of your own.

Mark scheme — 12 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-3) — A simple or general answer
  • Level 2 (4-6) — Some explanation of one or more reasons, with some knowledge
  • Level 3 (7-9) — A developed explanation linked to the question, with accurate knowledge
  • Level 4 (10-12) — An analytical explanation of several reasons, with knowledge that goes beyond the stimulus points

Model answer

One reason was the evidence that innocent people could be hanged. Timothy Evans was hanged in 1950 for the murder of his daughter, but in 1953 his landlord John Christie was revealed to be a serial killer who had murdered women in the same house. Evans was pardoned in 1966. This showed that the justice system could make mistakes, and an execution could never be undone. A second reason was growing public sympathy for those facing execution. Ruth Ellis shot her abusive lover in 1955 and became the last woman hanged in Britain, despite a petition and widespread sympathy for her situation. Derek Bentley, aged 19 and with learning difficulties, was hanged in 1953 for a murder his friend committed, causing public outrage. These cases made many people feel the death penalty was unjust. A third reason, beyond the stimulus, was changing attitudes and the work of campaigners. By the 1960s society was more concerned with human rights and rehabilitation, and there was little evidence that hanging deterred murderers. MPs such as Sydney Silverman campaigned for years, and in 1965 Parliament passed the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act, suspending hanging for murder.

3. Exam question How far do you agree? 16 marks Stretch

"The case of Derek Bentley was the main reason the death penalty was abolished in 1965." How far do you agree? Explain your answer. You may use the following in your answer: Derek Bentley; changing attitudes. You must also use information of your own. (16 marks, plus 4 for spelling, punctuation, grammar and specialist terminology)

Mark scheme — 16 marks available

  • Level 1 (1-4) — A simple or generalised answer
  • Level 2 (5-8) — Some analysis, with a judgement that is asserted
  • Level 3 (9-12) — Analysis of both sides with accurate knowledge and a supported judgement
  • Level 4 (13-16) — Sustained analysis, knowledge beyond the stimulus, and a clear, justified judgement
  • SPaG (4) — Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar, with specialist terms such as capital punishment and miscarriage of justice

Model answer

On the one hand, the Bentley case was very important. Derek Bentley, aged 19 with learning difficulties, was hanged in 1953 for a murder that his 16-year-old friend Christopher Craig committed - Craig fired the shot but was too young to hang. The case caused public outrage, with crowds protesting outside Wandsworth Prison, and it became a powerful symbol of the injustice of the death penalty. On the other hand, other factors were at least as important. The Timothy Evans case was arguably more significant because it proved that a completely innocent man had been hanged: Evans was executed in 1950, and in 1953 John Christie was revealed as a serial killer. Ruth Ellis's execution in 1955 also caused great public sympathy. More broadly, changing attitudes towards human rights and rehabilitation, doubts about whether hanging deterred murder, and the long campaign of MPs such as Sydney Silverman all led to abolition. Overall, the Bentley case was an important trigger that turned public opinion, but it was not the main reason on its own. The Evans case gave the strongest argument - that innocent people could be executed - and changing attitudes explain why Parliament finally acted in 1965.

4. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Why was the Timothy Evans case so important?

  1. A It showed an innocent man had been hanged Correct
  2. B Evans was the last man hanged in Britain
  3. C Evans was a police officer
  4. D It led to the creation of borstals

Why: It showed that an innocent man had been hanged - John Christie was later revealed as the killer.

5. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Who was the last woman hanged in Britain?

  1. A Emily Davison
  2. B Elizabeth Fry
  3. C Ruth Ellis Correct
  4. D Edith Thompson

Why: Ruth Ellis, hanged in 1955 for shooting her abusive lover.

6. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

Why did many people think Derek Bentley's execution was unjust?

  1. A He was pardoned before he was hanged
  2. B He did not fire the fatal shot Correct
  3. C He was over 70 years old
  4. D He confessed to a different crime

Why: His friend Christopher Craig fired the fatal shot but was too young to be hanged.

7. Multiple choice 1 mark Core

When was the death penalty for murder suspended?

  1. A 1948
  2. B 1957
  3. C 1969
  4. D 1965 Correct

Why: In 1965, for five years; abolition was made permanent in 1969.

8. Multiple choice 1 mark Stretch

Which MP campaigned for years to abolish hanging?

  1. A Sydney Silverman Correct
  2. B Robert Peel
  3. C John Christie
  4. D Christopher Craig

Why: Sydney Silverman campaigned against the death penalty and introduced the 1965 bill.

9. Multiple choice 1 mark Foundation

When did the last executions in Britain take place?

  1. A 1955
  2. B 1964 Correct
  3. C 1969
  4. D 1998

Why: The last two executions took place in 1964, the year before the death penalty for murder was suspended.