Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Leicester Labour councillors call for return of the death penalty

According to the front page of the Leicester Mercury two Labour councillors have called for the return of the death penalty. Barbara Potter and Sundip Meghani both represent the city on the Leicestershire Police Authority.

In the interests of fairness, I shall allow the councillors to speak for themselves.

Here is Sundip Meghani:
"It's a complicated issue but I'm in favour of capital punishment in some circumstances. I think it may be wrong to restrict the death penalty solely to the murderers of children and police, because that gives some lives more value than others. But multiple killers should be eligible for execution."
And here is Barbara Potter:
"Bring it on. Give these murderers the option of the noose, the electric chair or lethal injection. I think the vast majority would back this campaign. People are disgusted and appalled by those who murder vulnerable people such as children, or those who work to try and protect the public, like the police."
Paul Staines is 44.

1 comment:

Hywel said...

Barbara Potter also apparently said:
"'With all the DNA technology we can be 100 per cent sure that someone is guilty and when we are 100 per cent sure that this man has killed this child and the evidence is there, then capital punishment is appropriate.’"

Except DNA evidence doesn't provide 100% proof of guilt. I suppose it could provide 100% proof that you were in the relevant location, arguably 100% proof that you handled the murder weapon.

It provides no proof that you actually used that weapon to kill - and certainly none that you were doing so with the required intention.