The Origins

To mark 50 years of fighting the death penalty, our Five Conversations film series traces the moments, clients and partnerships that have shaped our history and continue to inform our work as we look to the future. This episode, The Origins, traces how it all began.

In this conversation, Anthony Burton, Founding Partner at Simons Muirhead Burton and Chair of The Death Penalty Project’s Board of Directors and Trustees, and Tatiana Hepher, an Associate in Simon Muirhead Burton’s Civil team, trace the origins of The Death Penalty Project. They explore how a small number of pro bono death penalty cases undertaken by the firm in the 1970s evolved into a dedicated legal action charity that now works in more than 20 countries.
In this conversation, Anthony Burton, Founding Partner at Simons Muirhead Burton and Chair of The Death Penalty Project’s Board of Directors and Trustees, and Tatiana Hepher, an Associate in Simon Muirhead Burton’s Civil team, trace the origins of The Death Penalty Project. They explore how a small number of pro bono death penalty cases undertaken by the firm in the 1970s evolved into a dedicated legal action charity that now works in more than 20 countries.

Our Anniversary Campaign: 50 years of fighting capital punishment

50 years ago, Simons Muirhead Burton represented Michael de Freitas in a high-profile death penalty case in Trinidad and Tobago. Michael was executed, sparking a commitment within the firm to take on more death penalty cases. This marked the beginning of what would become The Death Penalty Project.

When this work began in the 1970s, only 20 countries had abolished the death penalty. Today, that number stands at 125. But the fight is far from over. More than 28,000 people are estimated to be on death row worldwide, and executions are on the rise.

We are death penalty experts, taking action alongside our partners for criminal justice reform where the death penalty and its legacy still exists. After five decades of impactful action, we need your support to continue to fuel our work until the death penalty has ended, everywhere.

Make a donation to our Anniversary Fund today