The death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is the sentence of death upon a criminal as a punishment for a capital offence. “The first established death penalty laws date as far back as the Eighteenth Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammaurabi of Babylon, which codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes.” [1]
The death penalty holds paramount importance in the judicial system of a state. I believe that the fear of capital punishment prevents crime considerably. Execution of criminals is often highlighted in the news, thus acting as a warning for others. The absence of the death penalty will bring about a rise in the crime level, giving people the liberty to commit atrocious acts without any fear of the death punishment. This can be detrimental for our society since serial killers and rapists will not have the fear of a death sentence and might go berserk committing crimes more frequently than before. Thus it is necessary to instill the fear of death penalty into such criminals.
Another reason for the existence of the death penalty is that it is a just punishment for brutal crimes such as mass killing, child murder or simply the murder of another human being. When one attempts a murder, one must be aware that death penalty is the only consequence of such a heinous act. No other form of punishment would be appropriate or enough for such an offence. Thus capital punishment is of utmost importance in our society.
Besides, capital punishment prevents convicted criminals from repeating a crime. It acts as a tool to make sure that a prisoner will not offend again after his release. If there were no death penalties, nothing would really prevent a convict to offend repeatedly. After his release, the felon might commit another crime of same or higher intensity and be on the run. It may be really difficult to track down a fugitive and might cause more damage. Keeping all this in mind, the death sentence is appropriate for certain criminal offenses and its abolishment can lead to serious trouble and violence.
Lastly the death penalty is also essential since it brings an end to the misery of those who would otherwise spend their entire lives in prison. In my opinion, to die is better than to remain imprisoned for life. Someone who is sentenced life imprisonment has nothing to look forward to, has no hope, aspiration or ambition but has to continue a life of constant misery, pain and isolation. It is nothing but torture to lead a life like this and to put an end to such a life is better. In other words, one who deserves to die in jail should not be made to suffer for life, but instead should be sentenced to death.
On the other hand, the death penalty is a pathetic violation of the human right to life by the judicial system. Nobody has the right to decide one’s fate. Besides, capital punishment has a psychological effect on the accused and their families. From the time of the sentence till the time of death, the accused suffers immense mental pain and agony which also affects the family of the accused greatly. One dies several deaths in that duration, due to which capital punishment is considered inhuman.
Moreover, death penalty sets a weak example of killing another human being and advocates the feeling of revenge which in turn affects the society in general. People think it’s alright to avenge a crime by hurting the accused, in other words, it’s okay to kill someone who has hurt them or someone close to them. If capital punishment is abolished, the incidence of such ideas in people’s minds will reduce and the feelings of vengeance may eventually subside.
Also, capital punishment takes away the opportunity from the guilty to prove his innocence. The innocent ends up getting executed anyway, unable to defend himself after the verdict. Oftentimes the guilty is exonerated after getting executed and this is a major concern regarding death penalty. A plausible solution is that a death sentence must be preceded by one or two years of imprisonment. This will enable the convict to work on proving his innocence or at least accept his fate without remorse.
Furthermore, the death penalty leaves no scope of improvement or retribution for the guilty which is a shame. A criminal is unable to wash off his sin and dies with the guilt he carries. The judiciary must devise a method by which one is able to pay for one’s sins and not carry the burden of guilt till death. A period of chastening must be allowed before execution, resulting in a guilt-free death. This is a major concern regarding the death penalty and reforms need to be made in this regard.
The above-mentioned arguments highlight the significance as well as the negative attributes of the death penalty. Hence capital punishment is a topic of constant debate, the result of which is that 96 countries have abolished it while 58 nations still practice it. [2]
Source:
- [http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/part-i-history-death-penalty#early]
- [http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty/abolitionist-and-retentionist-countries]
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