INTRODUCTION
The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the execution of the death penalty for murder and other capital crimes (felonies, especially murder, which can be punishable by the death penalty). Any state legislature can impose capital punishment or the death penalty for murder and other capital crimes. The range of crimes punishable by the death penalty is wide, including murder, rape, false predictions, blasphemy, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy, adultery, witchcraft, and sorcery and can be executed by beheading with a knife or more rarely through firing squads and sometimes stoning to death.
First, the death penalty takes into account the importance of the victim's life. While others may see this as revenge and that killing the perpetrator will not bring or even make up for the loss of an innocent person, the view on the other side of the coin may be that This act of retaliation will not only bring comfort to the victim's family that justice has been served but also an effective deterrent against potentially dangerous figures in society, so that they can think about it. Think carefully before committing that horrible crime.
Even the Bible says that retribution is one of the most effective means of punishment. Exodus 21/23 says: "And if evil comes, you will give life for the rest of your life, eyes for eyes, teeth for teeth, hands for hands and feet for feet. How and why care and such respect for a murderer and forgiving the death row inmate when he cannot forgive the death of his victim?
Almost every country started using the death penalty from the beginning of the 20th century, but some countries don't use it. The pros & cons of the death penalty lead to debate whether it is essential or not? It is very difficult to justify. Although not all criminals apply the death penalty, there are strong opinions shared by death penalty proponents and anti-death penalty proponents. A larger segment of civilized society has always opposed the death penalty, regardless of the defendant, the crime, guilty or innocent, or the method of execution.
List of Pros of Death Penalty
1. Death penalty tax Money.
Advocates say that despite government spending to impose the death penalty, capital punishment is still cheaper than the cost of living without amnesty. While no one has claimed the costs have been high in the past, life imprisonment is cumulatively higher when considering the costs of food, health care, and other costs of sustaining the lives of incarcerated people who are incarcerated. execution of a life sentence.
2. It deters would-be criminals to commit felonies.
Supporters of the death penalty cite examples of how the imposition or abolition of the death penalty has affected crime rates. According to a study conducted in the late 1960s, the crime rate increased by 7% during the years when these laws were repealed. On the other hand, fewer crimes are being committed with an increase in the number of death row inmates executed each year. Lawyers say these figures clearly show the effectiveness of the death penalty in deterring crime.
3. The absence of the death penalty is synonymous with the increase in the crime rate.
As Time magazine reports, about 2,000,000 people in the United States have been victims of crimes ranging from assault to murder. With insufficient laws to deal with this or the lack of rigor in those laws, criminals are becoming more reckless and daring in committing heinous crimes due to leniency in judgments and losses. loopholes in the judicial system. For these reasons, the death penalty is necessary.
4. It is constitutional and does not violate the Eighth Amendment which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, cruel and unusual fines, and punishments, including torture.
Death penalty proponents say the pain associated with executing a death row inmate is not unlikely. Even the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected the Eighth Amendment challenge, which states that the drug used to make criminals comatose before injecting the lethal drug is completely unable to do so. so. The Supreme Court has been firm in its view that any method of execution inevitably causes suffering, and countries that apply the death penalty have adopted more humane methods of execution.
5. The death penalty is a just punishment for crimes that violate the victim's right to life, liberty, and security.
The right of an individual to live in peace and not be in danger. Unfortunately, crimes like murder, rape, and assault are committed by perpetrators who do not respect the lives and property of others. Since they intrude on the lives of others, it is only right for them to be brought to justice and suffer the fate they deserve. The death row inmates also talk about free will, where an individual has the right to do as he pleases and that person is responsible for his or her destiny.
List of Cons of Death Penalty
1. Innocent people are wrongly executed.
One of the arguments of those who oppose the death penalty is the inevitability of putting innocent people wrongly convicted to death and ultimately to execution. The saddest thing about it, according to opponents, is that innocence is proven after execution.
2. When it comes to free will, some criminals are either mentally ill or have an obscured sentence at the time of the crime.
Opponents argue that there are cases where people commit crimes in advance and are aware of what they are doing. However, this does not diminish the fact that a crime can also be committed out of passion or extreme anger due to a situation that causes the offender to act impulsively. Some people suffer from mental disorders and do not take medication, which can lead them to commit crimes that they cannot control.
3. It is an additional cost to government and taxpayer dollars.
Arguing that life in prison without parole would be more costly, opponents argue that in general, the government spends more tax dollars on handling death sentences. This is due to the length and complexity of the trials, the number of campaigners hired, and the overall process. They argue that there are two lawsuits where the state will spend money. One concerns the verdict and the other is the conviction, not to mention the number of appeals that will be filed while keeping the verdict as confidential as possible.
4. Death penalty is a form of revenge.
While supporters argue that imposing the death penalty is a form of punishment, that is, punishing the offender, opponents argue that it is revenge. For the latter, avenging a crime committed against another individual may be understandable, but murder for the sake of murdering another is also unconstitutional. The crime itself is only covered by the term death penalty and, in fact, it only continues the series of days of violence.
International Views on Capital punishment
Currently, 58 countries actively apply the death penalty while 96 countries have abolished it. Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits the use of the death penalty. The United Nations General Assembly has passed non-binding resolutions calling for a global moratorium on executions. More than 60% of the world's population live in the countries where the executions took place, namely China, India, the United States, and Indonesia. Each of these four countries voted against the UN resolutions. Among NGOs, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are known for their role in opposing the death penalty.
CONTENT WRITER:
NAME- PURTI RAJPUROHIT
COLLEGE- TILAK MAHARASHTRA VIDYAPEETH
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