We, the UK public, call on the UK Government and Parliament to reinstate the death penalty for cases of extreme, heinous crimes where the evidence is overwhelming and justice demands the highest form of accountability.

One tragic and harrowing example is the case of Axel Rudakubana. In 2024, Rudakubana was convicted of the brutal murders of innocent children in Southport. His crime was calculated, merciless, and he showed no remorse. Despite the severity of his actions, he will spend his life in prison at the expense of the taxpayer — a sentence many feel does not reflect the full gravity of his offences.

The UK abolished the death penalty in 1965. However, public opinion consistently shows that many British citizens believe capital punishment should be available for the most extreme cases — such as child murderers, serial killers, terrorists, and individuals who commit acts of barbaric cruelty where guilt is indisputable through evidence such as DNA, CCTV, and clear witness testimony.

We are not calling for the widespread use of capital punishment. We ask for its reinstatement only in exceptional circumstances — where the crime is so abhorrent that lifelong imprisonment fails to deliver true justice, and where the risk of wrongful conviction is virtually eliminated due to irrefutable evidence.

Our justice system must stand firmly with victims and their families. Justice should be proportionate to the crime. In rare but horrific cases like that of Axel Rudakubana, the death penalty is the only fitting and fair response.

We urge Parliament to open a debate on this matter and give the British people a say.

Sign this petition if you believe that, in exceptional circumstances, capital punishment should be reinstated as the ultimate form of justice.