|PIC1|The Bishop of Lichfield has reacted to the execution of Saddam Hussein by saying that it "cannot be called unjust" if he had a fair trial and proper opportunity to appeal.

The Rt Rev Jonathan Gledhill said: "Anyone who deliberately murders another human being immediately forfeits his or her own right to life. If Saddam Hussein had a fair trial and proper opportunity to appeal, his execution cannot be called unjust.

"Of course we have good reason to be against the death penalty. Human justice cannot be absolutely sure, we never know for certain what is going on inside a criminal, and verdicts have to balance probabilities. For these reasons alone it is unsafe to have the death penalty.

"Nevertheless for many criminals death is in fact a greater mercy than life-long imprisonment. It would also be wrong to encourage Iraqi democracy on the one hand and to interfere with their government and legal system on the other.

"If the international community is satisfied that due process has been observed we should hold our peace and pray that order will emerge out of chaos for Iraq and for the rest of the Middle East so that, in more stable times, they will be able to have their own discussion about the rights and wrongs of the death penalty.

"In the meantime the very fact that we believe in life (and judgment) after death will give Christians pause for thought about ourselves, about our own leaders and our responsibility in voting them into office."