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Ruth Ellis and public contestation of the death penalty

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 12:48 authored by Lizzie SealLizzie Seal
This article examines public reactions to the case of Ruth Ellis through an analysis of letters sent to the Home Secretary. The vast majority of these requested a reprieve, and highlighted themes such as her status as a mother, the murder as a crime of passion, David Blakely's mistreatment of her and the unfairness of applying the death penalty in her case. I argue that we need to analyse the public's views on Ruth Ellis in order to understand why her case was a pivotal one in turning the tide against capital punishment as a mandatory penalty for murder.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

The Howard Journal Of Criminal Justice

ISSN

0265-5527

Publisher

Blackwell Publishing

Issue

5

Volume

50

Page range

492-504

Department affiliated with

  • Sociology and Criminology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-11-09

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