Hundreds of death row inmates will be spared execution as California governor makes historic decision

California Governor Gavin Newsom has made a historic decision about the future of the death penalty in the Golden State.

The 59-year-old has confirmed today that all 548 people on death row in the state will have their sentences commuted, and they will instead serve life in prison.

"We can now let these offenders die in obscurity while we forever remember and honour the victims," he said in a letter.

"After nearly 30 years in public office, I have come to understand the limits of what government can justly accomplish," Newsom said. "I take this action because I firmly believe that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of our legal system and diminishes each of us".

It comes after the outrage in the US following the failed execution of Christa Pike, who miraculously survived a lethal injection earlier this year.

California was one of 27 states to still have a legal death penalty but the future of that now remains uncertain, with Newsom set to be replaced by fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra following the midterm election results earlier this week.

Newsom, who is widely expected to run for president in 2028, described his decision as a difficult but 'righteous action', and argued that although many Californians feel that those who commit brutal crimes deserve to die, he has concluded that 'the state cannot morally kill them'.

More to follow.