{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/murder-abolition-of-death-penalty-act-1965/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/murder-abolition-of-death-penalty-act-1965/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1965/71",
  "legislation_title": "Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/murder-abolition-of-death-penalty-act-1965",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Abolition of death penalty for murder.",
  "text": "(1) No person shall suffer death for murder, and a person convicted of murder shall . . . be sentenced to imprisonment for life.\n(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(3) For the purpose of any proceedings on or subsequent to a person’s trial on a charge of capital murder, that charge and any plea or finding of guilty of capital murder shall be treated as being or having been a charge, or a plea or finding of guilty, of murder only; and if at the commencement of this Act a person is under sentence of death for murder, the sentence shall have effect as a sentence of imprisonment for life.\n(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(1) repealed (25.8.2000) by 2000 c. 6, ss. 165(4), 168, Sch. 12 Pt. I (with Sch. 11 paras. 1, 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "S. 1(2) repealed (18.12.2003) by Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44), s. 336(2), Sch. 37 Pt. 8"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "S. 1(4) repealed (28.3.2009 for specified purposes, 31.10.2009 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2006 (c. 52), s. 383(2), Sch. 17; S.I. 2009/812, art. 3(a)(b) (with transitional provisions in S.I. 2009/1059); S.I. 2009/1167, art. 4"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "S. 1(5) repealed (25.8.2000) by 2000 c. 6, ss. 165(4), 168, Sch. 12 Pt. I (with Sch. 11 paras. 1, 2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 1(1)(2)(3) repealed (S.) except so far as relating to courts-martial, by Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), Sch. 10 Pt. I"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1965/71/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:57:04.619190+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}