My OpenLearn Profile
- Personalise your OpenLearn profile
- Save your favourite content
- Get recognition for your learning
This page was published over five years ago. Please be aware that due to the passage of time, the information provided on this page may be out of date or otherwise inaccurate, and any views or opinions expressed may no longer be relevant. Some technical elements such as audio-visual and interactive media may no longer work. For more detail, see our Archive and Deletion Policy.
Is the death penalty right or wrong? Does it act as a deterrent to serious crime? And is it necessarily an inhumane act? December 16th 2009 sees the 40th anniversary of the abolition in the UK of capital punishment for the crime of murder. In this specially recorded discussion, Professor Gary -------, Director of the Centre for Law at The Open University, Professor Barbara Hudson, Director of the Centre for Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Central Lancashire, and Dr. Nigel Warburton, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at The Open University, explore some of the fundamental issues underpinning our attitudes to this most severe of punishments. The discussion is chaired by radio journalist Penny Boreham.
- Duration 30 mins
- Updated Monday 14th December 2009
- Posted under Law
Track 1: The abolition of capital punishment
Exploring some of the legal and ethical issues which influence decisions to abolish or retain the death penalty.
© The Open University 2009
- Read a transcript of this track - you'll need a PDF viewer, such as Adobe's free Adobe Reader
- Download this track from iTunes U - you'll need Apple's free iTunes software
- See details of the Open University course this album comes from
- Discover more from The Open University and iTunesU at open.edu/itunes
Tracks in this podcast:
| Track | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The abolition of capital punishment | Exploring some of the legal and ethical issues which influence decisions to abolish or retain the death penalty. Play now The abolition of capital punishment |
About the author
Tags, Ratings and Social Bookmarking
Ratings
Other content you may like
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
What is Double Jeopardy?
Double jeopardy prevents a person from being tried again for the same crime. Dr Caroline Derry explains its importance and why the law has also been partially abolished...
video icon
Society, Politics & Law
Darwin and the law
The Open University's Gary Slapper revisits the Scopes trial of 1925. But it's the lack of subsequent action which really shows how Darwin changed the law.
audio icon
Society, Politics & Law
Giving the jury a fair hearing
Has the idea of a jury of your peers had its day?
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
What are the three types of Bill?
Laws start their lives as Bills in the Houses of Parliament. Here's a quick guide to the three type of Bill.
Society, Politics & Law
Parking mad
The moans of the motoring lobby may be irritating but, even in the domain of so-called public policing, economic imperatives, dressed as performance targets, can affect decision-making and mean that laws are not applied appropriately and consistently.
video icon
Society, Politics & Law
Five Equity, Trust and Land Law Cases You Should Know
From gagging a kiss and tell story to the issues around the statement 'finders keepers', take a look at some of these extraordinary animated law cases and why they matter.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
What did it mean to be found guilty by joint enterprise?
How "joint enterprise" could lead to people being jailed for murder even when they didn't directly kill anyone.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
Staying silent during a police interview: some comments on “no comment”
What happens if a suspect refuses to answer questions when interviewed under police caution? This article explores the legal effect of using a “no comment” response in criminal proceedings.
article icon
Society, Politics & Law
Remembering Gary Slapper
We're sad to report that Gary Slapper - founder of the OU Law School, visiting professor at The Open University and contributor to OpenLearn and Open2.net - has died.
©1999-2020. All rights reserved. The Open University is incorporated by Royal Charter (RC 000391), an exempt charity in England & Wales and a charity registered in Scotland (SC 038302). The Open University is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in relation to its secondary activity of credit broking.
Be the first to post a comment
We invite you to discuss this subject, but remember this is a public forum.
Please be polite, and avoid your passions turning into contempt for others. We may delete posts that are rude or aggressive, or edit posts containing contact details or links to other websites.