The Death Penalty Project

The Death Penalty Project is a legal action NGO at Simons Muirhead & Burton LLP. We use the law to protect prisoners facing execution and achieve fairer and more humane justice systems.

For more than three decades, The Death Penalty Project has provided free legal representation to those facing the death penalty. We began as a few lawyers at London law firm Simons Muirhead Burton LLP dedicated to working on death penalty cases in the Caribbean. With the help of a wider team of human rights barristers, forensic experts and academics, our work has grown significantly over the years. Today we work in more than 30 countries around the world.

Driven by a belief that the death penalty is cruel and often discriminates against the poorest and most disadvantaged members of society, we work strategically to safeguard the rights of those facing the death penalty and other vulnerable prisoners. Our work has saved the lives of thousands of prisoners and transformed the legal landscape in the countries in which we operate.

We provide free legal representation and assistance to individuals facing the death penalty and other vulnerable prisoners.

Legal representation is expensive and in many countries legal aid is limited or unavailable. Without legal assistance or access to mental health assessments or forensic expertise, it is frequently the poorest and most marginalised individuals who end up receiving the harshest penalties.

We provide access to justice through free legal assistance, principally at the appeal stage. We also bring strategic litigation to strike down cruel, unfair and inhuman laws. In doing so we create lasting legal precedents, ensuring that our impact stretches far beyond those individuals we directly assist. Our legal work has saved thousands of prisoners from execution.

Our legal work falls into four main categories:- 

1. Representation before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: For those countries that retain the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London as their final court of appeal, we provide free legal representation before the court.
2. Assistance before domestic courts: We assist local legal teams in proceedings before domestic courts and support constitutional challenges to restrict the application and scope of the death penalty.
3. Assistance to foreign nationals facing the death penalty: We work with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to provide free legal assistance to British nationals facing the death penalty. We also work with other consular authorities to assist their nationals facing the death penalty in a foreign country.
4. Cases brought before international tribunals: Where violations of international human rights law have occurred, we bring cases before international tribunals to highlight these breaches and seek remedies. We have brought more complaints before international tribunals than any other death penalty organisation.