Death penalty to be permanently abolished

The government is to permanently remove the death penalty from Irish law.

Under an amendment by Justice Minister John O'Donoghue, it will be deleted from the constitution and banned in all circumstances, including times of war.

The death penalty was last used in this country during the 1950s, and is now no longer in use in all EU states.

However, executions remain common in the US, where they are often carried out despite protests from European countries and international human rights groups.