# They hang pirates, don't they? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486 "2008-04-30T16:46:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/1 "2008-04-30T16:46:29Z")
Inspired by recent threads: didn’t the US Navy and Royal Navy once employ summary hanging as a means to deter piracy on the high seas? When and why did they stop? Do any nations still use it? ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/2 "2008-04-30T16:49:50Z")
Not sure about Pirates, but hanging is still a common means of execution in many European countries, as well as the middle east and Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/3 "2008-04-30T16:53:50Z")
I believe the Wikipedia article notes that pirates were eligible for summary execution if captured in battle by the Royal Navy, but this was rarely enforced. Not an adequate cite, but you might try exploring the cites at the bottom of the article. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/4 "2008-04-30T17:11:17Z")
[QUOTE=Acid Lamp] Not sure about Pirates, but hanging is still a common means of execution in many European countries, as well as the middle east and Japan. [/QUOTE] Sorry, to clarify, I mean _summary_ hanging, as in: yup, you’re a pirate–no courts for you, today you die. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/5 "2008-04-30T17:11:33Z")
I remember a great line from one of the Aubrey and Maturin books. A crewman is talking about an earlier cruise in which a British warship found a Chinese junk. The Navy crew suspected they were pirates and were all for hanging them from the yardarm, “but the captain, who was a magistrate ashore, had some scruples about evidence and let them go with a warning.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/6 "2008-04-30T17:13:42Z")
[QUOTE=Acid Lamp] Not sure about Pirates, but hanging is still a common means of execution in many European countries [/QUOTE] Wait, what many European countries? I thought capital punishment was abolished pretty much everywhere except for like Belarus. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/7 "2008-04-30T17:20:40Z")
The wiki mentioned hungary, bulgaria, germany, and russia by name as all having had hangings since the 1980’s. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/8 "2008-04-30T17:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=Acid Lamp] The wiki mentioned hungary, bulgaria, germany, and russia by name as all having had hangings since the 1980’s. [/QUOTE] You said “still.” The last execution in Germany (East) was in 1981 or 82, and that was by gun. Hungary last executed a man in 1989. It was abolished in 1990. Bulgaria also last executed a man in 1989, but abolished capital punishment in 1998. Russia has had a moratorium since 1996. This doesn’t fit the definition of “still,” “many,” or even “common,” to me. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/9 "2008-04-30T17:48:05Z")
[QUOTE=pulykamell] Wait, what many European countries? I thought capital punishment was abolished pretty much everywhere except for like Belarus. [/QUOTE] FWIW, abolishing capital punishment is a requirement for acceptance into the EU. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/10 "2008-04-30T18:20:29Z")
[QUOTE=Spiny Norman] FWIW, abolishing capital punishment is a requirement for acceptance into the EU. [/QUOTE] I know, which is partly why I was a little bit surprised at the statement. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/11 "2008-04-30T18:28:39Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] I remember a great line from one of the Aubrey and Maturin books. A crewman is talking about an earlier cruise in which a British warship found a Chinese junk. The Navy crew suspected they were pirates and were all for hanging them from the yardarm, “but the captain, who was a magistrate ashore, had some scruples about evidence and let them go with a warning.” [/QUOTE] I truly hate to nitpick, but Captain Hammond didn’t release them - he pressed them into the crew. It was the on the _Lively_, where Jack was temporarily in command while Capt. Hammond was attending a session of Parliament. Jack was shocked when the Chinese & Malay crewmembers slaughtered the crew of a French gunboat out of hand, instead of offering them a chance to surrender, whereupon the bosun told him the story. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/12 "2008-04-30T22:36:05Z")
OK, thanks. It’s been awhile! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-hang-pirates-dont-they/447486/13 "2008-05-01T21:26:39Z")
Bumpity bump.