When a sitting Member of Parliament publicly calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty, it is not simply a matter of “tough on crime”. It interacts with and reinforces structural racism in at least three key ways:
- Historical legacy of racialised capital punishment – Capital punishment has always been applied unevenly, disproportionately affecting Black, Brown and minority ethnic people. For example, studies show that implicit racial bias influences which defendants are selected for death penalty-eligible cases and how they are judged.
- Devaluing Black life and perpetuating racial notions of expendability. The logic of the death penalty can treat some lives as more “worth saving” than others. In a context of racialised criminal justice, calls to kill the worst offenders risk being coded as calls to kill “others” (including racialised “foreign” or “immigrant” offenders) rather than recognising the full humanity and rights of all, including Black victims and defendants.
- Ignoring the lived reality of state violence against Black people – Within the UK and beyond, Black lives have often been devalued through policing, punishment, and incarceration. To call for the death penalty without acknowledging this system of racialised injustice shows a disregard for the rights and lives of Black people (both victims and accused) and enables a narrative of “punish them rather than examine our system”. The fact that Black lives killed by state violence continue to be ignored in public discourse further highlights this racial dimension.
When an MP suggests reintroducing a punishment that was abolished decades ago (in the UK for murder in 1965) but appears to do so in language that emphasises “foreign criminals” or “monsters” from outside the community, the racialised undertones become even sharper.
As an equality-informed voice, we must recognise that such a call is not neutral. It stokes fear, pits groups against each other, and ignores systemic inequality – it is racist in effect, even when it may not always be labelled so explicitly.
Key Messages
Here are the central messages I have received from reading the article
Capital punishment is irreconcilable with equality of life and dignity.
Every person, accused or otherwise, deserves the right to live, be treated fairly, and benefit from justice systems that do not discriminate.
- Reintroducing the death penalty would amplify racial injustice. Given the evidence of racial bias in sentencing and the over-representation of Black and ethnically diverse people in the criminal justice system, this policy would likely hit marginalised groups hardest. (See the Lammy Review findings on racial disproportionality in the UK justice system).
- Calls for “exceptional circumstances” must still be critically examined for racial impact.
- Even if the discourse frames the death penalty as for “monsters” or “foreign criminals”, we must ask: who is defined as a monster, who is labelled foreign, and who will ultimately bear the burden?
- Victims’ rights and Black lives matter equally. While we must absolutely seek justice for victims of crime, we cannot do so by erasing the rights of others or enabling state violence that disproportionately impacts Black lives.
- Structural justice is more urgent than punitive spectacle.
Instead of turning to the most extreme punishment, we must invest in prevention, repair, community support, restorative processes, and eliminating bias in policing, prosecution and sentencing.
Actions: Who should do what?
Here are the actions various actors should take, especially in the voluntary sector, equality & diversity space, and public discourse.
For civil society organisations, equality trainers and EDI practitioners
- Develop and deliver training on how punitive policy proposals can interact with racial inequality (beyond conscious racism), for example, showing how death penalty calls fit within a broader matrix of racialised criminal justice.
- Craft briefings or social-media posts that challenge the narrative: emphasise the risk of re-introducing capital punishment as a step back for equality, and promote alternatives centred on restorative justice and human rights.
- Work with communities (especially Black communities) to create forums of listening and response, ensuring their voices are foregrounded in conversations about crime, justice and punishment.
- Advocate for data transparency: push for the collection and publication of ethnicity, race and related metrics in criminal justice, so that equal-treatment claims can be assessed rigorously.
For policymakers and elected representatives
- Reject proposals that would reintroduce the death penalty without a full equality impact assessment, independent scrutiny, and public debate focused on racial equality.
- Commission or support independent reviews of how criminal-justice policy proposals impact racialised groups avoid assuming that “tougher punishment” is inherently beneficial or fair.
- Emphasise investment in prevention, community resources, and policing reform rather than reverting to punitive measures with problematic racial implications.
- Ensure that victims’ rights are fully respected, including Black victims, but that this does not lead to measures which undermine the rights of others or fuel racial inequality.
For media and public commentators
- Frame discussions about crime, punishment and sentencing in ways that highlight the racial equality dimension, not just “tough vs lenient”.
- Avoid dehumanising language (“monsters”, “foreign criminals”) which often fuels racialised fear and scapegoating.
- Invite voices from affected communities and racial-justice experts into the conversation, so that the debate is not driven solely by punitive politics.
- Contextualise discussions of the death penalty (or its reinstatement) with the global evidence of its racialised deployment and the risks it poses to fairness and justice.
Conclusion
In short, a proposal to bring back the death penalty is not simply a legal or criminal justice question. It is a profoundly important equality and human rights issue.
For anyone committed to racial justice and the dignity of Black lives, this must be met not with complacency, but with scrutiny, clear messaging and collective action.
When an MP raises this issue, the response must be:
- Why is this being proposed?
- Who will be most impacted?
- What alternatives exist?
- How will we ensure this does not deepen racial injustice?
As EDUK continues our work in EDI, training and advocacy, we must hold this moment as one that reveals how punishment-oriented policies can sideline equality, human rights and Black lives — and we must act accordingly.