Portugal abolished the death penalty 150 years ago

The Portuguese Photography Centre (CPF) and the Misericordia do Porto Museum (MMIPO) will hold a route reminiscent of the abolishment of the capital punishment in Portugal, themed ""Do Cárcere à Forca" ("From Prison to Hanging" in English). The route evokes the path travelled by those sentenced to death on their way to be hanged.

Prior registration is required and tickets cost 5 euros.

Portugal was a pioneer in abolishing the death penalty 150 years ago. The method of capital punishment used in Portugal was by hanging. No executions have been carried out since 1846, and the formal abolishment of capital punishment for civil crimes took place in 1867.

The abolishment of the death penalty was done in stages; first for political crimes in 1852, then for all crimes except the military in 1867, and for all crimes in 1911.

With World War I, in 1916 Portugal re-established the capital punishment only for military crimes in war time with a foreign country and only in the theatre of war. The last execution in Portugal took place in Lagos South of Portugal) in 1846 and while it remains poorly documented, it is the possible execution of a soldier of the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps carried out in France during World War One.

The death penalty was again abolished for all crimes with the new Constitution in 1976.

The European Values Study (EVS) carried out in 2008 in Portugal showed that 51.6% of respondents said the death penalty can never be justified and a mere 1.5% said it can be always justified.

The Charter of Law of Abolition of the Death Penalty, which was approved in 1867, is preserved in the National Archives of Torre do Tombo in Lisbon and remains as one of the first examples of the permanent suspension of the death penalty to be codified in a national legal system.

This document promotes values which are part of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

+Info: "Do Cárcere à
Forca"

July 1 | Tickets: 5 euros

Timetable: 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm

Path: CPF (start), Praça da Liberdade, MMIPO (end)

Applications: June 30 via e-mail
sonia.silva@cpf.dglab.gov.pt

Information: publicos@mmipo.scmp.pt | 220 906 961