Hanging

Hanging is a method of causing death by suspending a person by the neck with a noose or ligature.

This practice has served as a standard form of capital punishment since the Middle Ages. It is frequently carried out using a specialized structure called a gallows. Beyond judicial use, hanging is also a common method of suicide. In the United Kingdom, it was the most frequent method of suicide in 2024, accounting for 56% of the 3,504 recorded cases.

In Canada, it remains the most common method of suicide, while in the United States, it is the second most common after gunshot wounds.

There are several distinct mechanical methods used in judicial hanging. The first is the short drop method. In this process, the condemned person stands on a raised support like a stool, ladder, or cart.

Once the support is removed, the person dangles from the rope. The weight of the body causes the noose to tighten, leading to death via strangulation. This method was the standard before 1850. It is still seen in extrajudicial hangings, such as lynchings, where specialized equipment is unavailable. Another variant is the pole method, sometimes called the "strangling gallows." The person is hoisted up a vertical pole using a chest sling. An assistant then jerks the person downward by a rope attached to their feet, resulting in rapid strangulation.

History shows how these methods evolved through different regions and eras. The Austro-Hungarian army used pole-hanging during mass executions of Serbs in 1916.

Czechoslovakia later adopted this pole method, using it for approximately 1,000 executions until 1954. At that time, Pankrác Prison replaced the pole with indoor gallows for short-drop hangings. In Australia, hanging was a part of the legal system for many years. During the 19th century, about eighty people were hanged annually in the Australian colonies for crimes like burglary and murder. The last execution in Australia occurred in Victoria in 1967, when Ronald Ryan was hanged. By 1985, all Australian states and territories had abolished the death penalty.

As science progressed, people sought more precise ways to manage the process. In 1866, an Irish doctor named Samuel Haughton published scientific details regarding the "standard drop." This method aimed to improve upon the short drop by intending to break the neck. This break was meant to cause immediate unconsciousness and rapid brain death. This approach was later used for Nazi war criminals, such as Joachim von Ribbentrop, following the Nuremberg Trials. However, the execution of Ribbentrop was noted by historian Giles MacDonogh as a failure. The hangman botched the process, and the rope throttled the former minister for 20 minutes before he died.

In 1872, William Marwood introduced the "long drop" to Britain as a further scientific advance.

This method, also known as the measured drop, was later refined by James Berry. Unlike previous methods, the long drop uses the person's specific height and weight to calculate the necessary fall distance. The goal is to provide enough energy to fracture the neck without causing decapitation. Before 1892, drops ranged from 5 to 10 feet. Between 1892 and 1913, officials shortened the drop to prevent decapitation. By 1913, the energy delivered was reduced to about 1,260 foot-pounds. If calculations were incorrect, however, the results could be fatal in other ways. In 1901, Black Jack Ketchum was decapitated in the New Mexico Territory because his weight gain was not factored into the drop.

Medical science explains the different ways hanging affects the human body. Death can occur through several physiological mechanisms. One cause is a cervical fracture, which is a break in the neck bones. A study of 34 judicial hangings found that only 6 cases produced cervical fractures. Among those, 3 cases showed the "hangman's fracture," involving the C2 vertebra.

Another cause is the closure of blood vessels, such as the carotid arteries or jugular veins. If the jugular veins are blocked, it leads to cerebral oedema, which is swelling of the brain. This can cause the face to become blue, a condition known as cyanosis. If the person survives the attempt, they may suffer permanent brain damage from cerebral anoxia, which is a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Today, the use of hanging varies significantly across the globe. Long-drop hanging is still practiced in a few countries, including Japan and Singapore. In Afghanistan, hanging is the most common method of capital punishment. Following the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the administration under Hamid Karzai was hesitant to use the death penalty. However, in 2011, the government resumed hanging for certain convictions. In Bangladesh, hanging remains the only method of execution used since its independence. Meanwhile, other nations have moved away from the practice entirely, such as the Bahamas, which has not conducted an execution since 2000.