The Tory minister wrote in 1998 that it was wrong to abolish hanging
Newly appointed justice secretary Michael Gove wrote an article supporting the death penalty in 1998, saying it was wrong to abolish hanging for convicted criminals.
The former Tory education secretary and chief whip’s article for the Times, where he was a journalist, was reported by the Telegraph on Sunday after his new role was revealed.
Mr Gove will be in charge of scrapping the Human Rights Act as well as running Britain’s prisons.
His piece argued a fair trial with the death penalty was more just than prison sentences set by the home office and imposed by judges.
The Times reports:
“Mr Gove wrote in 1998 that Britain was wrong to abolish hanging in the 1960s.
Banning the noose had ‘led to a corruption of our criminal justice system, the erosion of all our freedoms and has made the punishment of the innocent more likely’ as it came with the home secretary being given the power to impose wholesale tariffs, he said.
He has not repeated his stance since.
The Telegraph reports Mr Gove also wrote:
“Hanging may seem barbarous, but the greater barbarity lies in the slow abandonment of our common law traditions. Were I ever alone in the dock I would not want to be arraigned before our flawed tribunals, knowing my freedom could be forfeit as a result of political pressures. I would prefer a fair trial, under the shadow of the noose.”
The incoming Tory government has pledged to replace the Human Rights Act, which enshrined the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law in 2000, which a British bill of rights.
The Act was passed under the Labour government of Tony Blair in the same year Mr Gove wrote his article about hanging.
Mr Gove recently wrote a piece in the Spectator about the importance of Christianity in the UK.
Adam Barnett is a staff writer at Left Foot Forward. Follow MediaWatch on Twitter
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61 Responses to “Michael Gove supported the death penalty. Now he’s minister for justice”
damon
You seem to be quite happy about the deaths of Palestinian children Leon.
oblivia
I don’t think there’s any good evidence to support that view.
Dave Stewart
Can I ask you a question. Why do you come to a leftwing political blogging site when clearly your views are rather right wing and you disagree with everything you read? From your comments you seem to show no sign that you seriously consider the views and points being put forward (if you are then kudos to you as very few people will look outside their political comfort zone for new ideas) typically you make some dismissive comment with no attempt at analysis.
It seems to me like your only purpose of being he is to antagonize the other users of this site without making any attempt to engage them in rational debate about the issues under discussion.
Just wondering.
Gerschwin
It’s interesting to read what the left, even if sometimes it does read like soft left pseudo-intellectual student Union middle class wank type left, is saying. Boring otherwise just hanging around the Speccie or Torygraph. As for my comments Dave, well take a look at some of the goons loitering around here, I’m sure the website will survive my comment, they’re normally pretty good at deleting my comments when they’ve had enough of me anyhow.
Leon Wolfeson
No, I do not share your views, and don’t support Hamas. Get over it.
As you support the state murdering people, no surprises there.