Hilary Swank: 'I don't believe in the death penalty'

Hilary Swank today went on record as being opposed to the death penalty.

She made the comments while promoting her new movie 'Conviction' before it debuted at the London Film Festival on Friday, October 15. The movie tells the real life story of Betty-Anne Waters, who spent two decades fighting for her brother's release from prison after he was wrongfully convicted of murder.

Speaking at a press conference in London's Leicester Square, Swank revealed her stance after Betty-Anne Waters told reporters that at least one man is now known to have been executed.

Swank said, "I know that we have a very flawed judicial system in the United States and knowing what Betty-Anne just shared, that an innocent man was executed, I don't believe in the death penalty.

"I believe that there are other people as we speak right now that are in prison, wrongfully accused, who could have such a fate and that is injustice at its greatest."

Co-star Minnie Driver echoed Swank's sentiments, telling press, "The idea, regardless of someone's innocence or guilt, of us sanctioning killing someone, ever, and of that somehow being a measure that is going to teach people to behave differently – I don't think that's the answer. I'm very glad that that hasn't existed, for many years, in the UK."