Timeshift digs into the archive to trace the extraordinary story of the ultimate sanction. At the beginning of the 19th century you could still be hanged in Britain for offences such as stealing a sheep or shooting a rabbit.
Even children as young as seven were sent to the gallows. The last hanging in this country took place as recently as 1964.
By opting for a dispassionate history rather than staging the usual polarised debate, the programme breaks new ground with its fascinating attention to detail, such as the protocols of the public execution or the 'science' of hanging.
With contributions from both sides of the argument, it provides an essential guide to a subject that still divides us.
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Nigel Warburton on... what's wrong with killing?
We often lose sight of the human consequences of war. Photographers can play an important role in reminding us.
Read nowNigel Warburton on... what's wrong with killing?Level: 1 Introductory
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What's your verdict?
What exactly is 'justice'? Follow our fictional case and see if you can make judgements based on the facts as they are presented to you
Take part nowWhat's your verdict?Level: 1 Introductory
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Breaking the Seal: Legal documents as historical record
Bettany Hughes and the Breaking The Seal team uncovered just how much information is hidden away in legal records.
Read nowBreaking the Seal: Legal documents as historical recordLevel: 1 Introductory
Justice: A Citizen's Guide
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OU on the BBC: Justice: Amnesty! When They Are All Free
Marking the 50th anniversary of the campaigning group, Storyville presents a history of Amnesty International.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: Amnesty! When They Are All FreeLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Justice: Timeshift - Crime and Punishment - The Story of Corporal Punishment
Spare the rod and spoil the child? Timeshift looks back to what the world was like before the rod was spared.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: Timeshift - Crime and Punishment - The Story of Corporal PunishmentLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Justice: Timeshift - Retrial By Television
Stepping in when justice goes wrong: BBC Four pays tribute to the campaigning team at Rough Justice.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: Timeshift - Retrial By TelevisionLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Justice: Justice with Michael Sandel
Michael Sandel takes a lively look at some of the moral questions surrounding our ideas of justice.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: Justice with Michael SandelLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Justice: Fairness And The Big Society
Michael Sandel takes on the idea of fairness, and asks how it might apply to David Cameron's Big Society.
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: Fairness And The Big SocietyLevel: 1 Introductory
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OU on the BBC: Justice: A Citizen's Guide To The 21st Century
Michael Sandel explores justice from a philosophical angle - are there absolute rights and wrongs, and what can Bentham, Kant and Aristotle teach us?
Read nowOU on the BBC: Justice: A Citizen's Guide To The 21st CenturyLevel: 1 Introductory
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Justice Season on the BBC
Read more about the Justice Season on the BBC
Read moreJustice Season on the BBC
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