The righteousness of the Death penalty's Evaluation
Life certainly does not come by choice, and nor should the choice to end it be an option for humans. Nor the man himself or any law should have the authority to take the life of a man. However, the law of capital punishment goes against natural laws. To define capital punishment is the order given by a country's legal body to award the death penalty to a human being. However, These are done in the rarest of cases when a person's criminal offense is simply beyond the terms of acceptance. To add, Capital punishment is given in a few of the very heinous acts. The categories and the monstrous crimes for which the death penalty can be given are pre-defined in every country's law. In fact, few countries in the world are quite open about giving the death penalty, whereas some condemn this act and do no give it a place in its legal practice.
The Death penalty is the punishment given for most of the horrendous acts by the world's legal institutions. It can be processed by various means such as hanging till death, crucifixion, or beheading. The means generally vary as per the communal practices of a region.;
History of the death penalty
The death penalty has been experienced by human society for very long. It has been witnessed as the most audacious step in human history to punish a man for his wrong deeds. It is noteworthy that the death penalty was a common scenario in the earlier centuries. From the 7th Century B.C.’s Draconian Code of Athen to the 14th century B.C.’s Hittite Code, the death penalty has been a part of the global law system for a very long. It even got practiced till the 18th Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon, in which there are 25 crimes that were termed accountable for the death punishment.
Going back to the Tenth Century A.D in Britain, an act of execution was considered as a common step for putting an end to criminal activities. However, in the next century, William the Conqueror commanded the death penalty only at war times. This did not last for long as, under the rule of Henry VIII, a huge number, i.e., 72000 people, were punished to death. In fact, the modes of execution were also very inhuman, such as boiling, burning, quartering, beheading, or drowning.
In historical times, people were sentenced to death even for stealing or cutting down a tree. The ways of giving the punishment varied from crucifixion to beheading to hanging or even drowning in the water. Later, beginning from the 18th century, laws started to change, and around 200 crimes were taken away from the list of death punishment. In this regard, Britain has been the first country to amend laws and list some definite crimes which should be considered under the level of horrendous acts. After Britain brought a change in its death penalty laws in the 18th century, America and other countries began to change their capital punishment rules too.
Why the death penalty should be abolished
There are a number of firm reasons to abolish the death penalty. Given below are some of them:
The dead cannot be resurrected: Human beings make mistakes, and as the judiciary is composed of human beings, it can commit mistakes. There have already been many incidents in which the people sentenced to the death penalty were proven to be innocent later. For example, in 1992, an American man, Cameron Todd Willingham, was convicted of the arson murder of his three daughters in Texas. Then, after nearly 12 years in 2004, he was put to death. But, later, the Texas Forensic Science Commission found that the testimony was misinterpreted at that time. They declared that there was no proper valid evidence against Cameron. However, sadly! By that time, nothing could be done as Cameron was already dead. This is just one such example, while there are many more on the list. Thus, the death penalty should be abolished as the dead cannot be resurrected.
There is no evidence that it decreases crime: Different countries see the death penalty as a medium to limit crime. But, there is no valid evidence to support that the death penalty actually decreases crime. For example, according to the UN, the murder rate was 57 per 100,000 people in Jamaica in 2017, where the death penalty is legal. The murder rate was 41.7 per 10,000 people in Honduras in 2017, where there is no death penalty. This clearly highlights that the death penalty doesn’t necessarily decrease crime.
It is not a fair means of punishment: Corruption is an integral part of the world. The rich try to escape the death penalty with their money, and sadly they often succeed too. But, the poor lack the means even to hire a good lawyer for themselves. As a result, they find it challenging to prove their innocence even when they are innocent. This way, the death penalty, just like many other penalties, is not a fair means of punishment. It weighs heavy on the poor and underprivileged, whereas the rich and powerful often escape from it. For example, according to the Equal Justice Initiative, 95% of the convicts stuck on death row in the United States belong to underprivileged backgrounds. They don’t have their own lawyers and the proper means to fight their cases. As a result, their cases keep lingering on. Another similar example comes from India, where a study was conducted on 373 death row convicts over 15 years. The findings were shocking as they highlighted that three-fourths of the convicts who were given the death penalty belonged to backward classes and minorities. Also, 75% of them belonged to Economically Weaker Sections.
It is often utilized in political rivalry: The death penalty is used as a political tool in many cases. People in power use it as a means to get rid of their rivals and opposition. According to a renowned barrister, Julian McMahan, nearly all executions he has known have a political basis. Not only this, several studies have shown that in Pakistan, the death penalty is being used as a political tool. Thus, the death sentence is often utilized for political rivalry.
It is not in alignment with human rights: The right to life is the most basic right of all human beings. But, the death penalty is not in alignment with it. Not only this, it subjects people to torture and inhumane treatment, which is against the human right of not being subjected to such cruel acts. So, the death penalty is not in alignment with human rights.
Arguments for the death penalty
The Death penalty, though, is not much appreciated by the laws of the world. Still, there are some types of arguments, which state this practice as rightful. Following is the mention of a few of them:
1. A way to discourage future crimes:
Humans' monstrous acts can not be justified at any cost, including horrendous crimes such as rapes and murders. By executing death punishment for such crimes, different countries' judicial systems try to discourage their occurrence in the future. No doubt, such crimes continue to happen, but the death penalty threat is effective in decreasing their rate of happening.
2. To balance the action and give justice to the sufferer and his family:
The death penalty is used to balance the action and give justice to the sufferer and his family. After all, the culprit who committed the crime didn't treat the victim humanely, so why should he be treated humanely? This is what the believers of the death penalty say. Further, they also believe that leaving a culprit of murder-related crimes alive is a huge injustice to the family of the victim. It aggravates their pain even more. So, the believers of the death penalty believe that it is necessary to give justice to the victim and his family.
3. Giving more power to law:
By giving the police and judicial system the power to give the death penalty, the government of a country automatically transfers more power into the system's hands. This gives them the reason and the authority to control the public in a more dominating manner. Also, when the legal system of a country is more authoritarian, then the people of the country respect and value the policemen and the legalities all the more.
4. Giving reason to the people to fear from the law of court:
People abide by the law only when they have a fear of receiving a dangerous punishment. Many times, people with a culprit mindset don’t even fear imprisonment. They only fear death. So, the death penalty's existence gives more power to the law and helps the government control the culprit-minded people.
5. To prevent the repetition of the crime:
An odd and negative mind cannot be stopped from repeating the crime if he does not wish to revert. Even after suffering from imprisonment, he will have the tendency to repeat the crime after being released. As a result, leaving the culprits of most violent crimes like murder and rape out in society again can be a huge mistake. So, the judicial systems of different countries utilize the death penalty as a means to prevent the repetition of the crime.
These points help you have a stronger say and even briefs you on how to write an argumentative essay.
Sample essay
College students get a lot of assignments on topics pertaining to the death penalty. For this, they are required to conduct thorough research and evaluate the arguments in favor as well as against. Through this section, Assignment help takes a step forward in helping the students write a productive essay through essay writing service.
Death penalty- An act against the law of nature or a righteous punishment?
Life and death are the two biggest occasions of life. These mark the cause of the beginning and end of human life. It is with sheer blessings of the divine power that a man gets his human life. Also, it is said that a man must involve himself in the greatest of the positive deeds to express his gratitude and admiration towards the almighty. Moreover, when coming to this world is not in humans' hands, how can a human brain plan or order the departure of the human soul from this earth. There are a lot of arguments for the same and the causes of stress on the topic. This essay details the same topic with certain imperative facts and figures and provides an effective essay introduction.
Thesis statement: Ordering the death penalty for a crime is the highest power that the jurisdiction of any country holds. However, it is completely against nature and shuts down any hope for the improvement of the individual in concern. This essay discussed the righteousness of the execution of capital punishment. It also answers the following questions:
Does it lead to a reduction in the number of criminal cases?
Is this not in violation of the laws of nature?
Does it give more power to the legal system?
Now, the very first point that comes across in concern of capital punishment is that it does not lead to lowering the criminal cases. There has been no certain evidence that states that the death penalty results in reducing criminal cases. In fact, the cases have seen a surge with each passing year. To explain the same, the situation of increasing homicide cases can be taken. Despite imposing the death penalty on crime, 4,64,000 people have reported dying globally from homicide in 2017. This number is certainly higher than 3,85,000, which was noted in 2016. These figures highlight the fact that the cases of homicide have been increasing despite the imposition of the death penalty.
Moreover, giving the death penalty to a human being is an act completely against nature's laws. A human being does not hold any right to act against God's decision and take the life of another human. It is like doing one more crime to subdue the effects of the other. For example, if a person has murdered someone, the very reason behind it needs to be worked upon. Giving him capital punishment is like turning heads from reality and the possibility of betterment. In fact, if some energy and time are invested upon his case, then he can probably be turned into a good human being. He can be sent to a rehabilitation center, where his mind can be revamped to a positive and enthusiastic human being who wants to work for society's good.
On the other hand, the supporters of capital punishment argue that this act gives more power to society's law and order. They say it is with this system that people start respecting the legal system and the country's police. According to them, the stricter the laws are, the better disciplined the country's citizens are. For example, In Dubai and other parts of UAE, the laws are stringent, and they are very much in support of capital punishment. This is the reason that people fear to conduct any crime against women or other criminal acts. The severity of these laws has brought in much discipline to the nations. This can be concluded by the reports produced by Statista Research Department. The reports state that will murder rate in 2018 in Dubai has grown down to 0.1/1000 people compared to 0.3/1000 people in 2013.in fact, the total crime rate of the city has reduced magnificently. It has come down to 33.4/ 1Lac people in 2018 from 58.6 in the year 2013.
Though, many people contradict the views of a polite and reformative world. Still, if steps are taken to abolish the death penalty laws, then the world can look forward to producing even better human beings. There is no need to release the hard-core criminals and leave them in the open. Rather, they should be treated physically and mentally. There is a greater need to amend those evil minds and bring them closer to the nature of God. When they meet the beauty of almighty; then they realize their inner strength and purpose why they have been given this plentiful life. After and when these people have reformed into a totally new being, their selfless souls can be lent to serve society. Darius Clark Monroe robbed a bank at the age of 16. After coming from prison, he documented an Evolution of a Criminal, autobiographical feature film. The film talks about the reasons that pushed him to the robbery, and after 14 years of his release, he even went back to the prison and shared his reincarnation story with the present prisoners there. Thus, every country and every person should hold this view and look at the world with a positive lens and hope of positivity.
Every country's government has the responsibility to provide its citizens a crime-free society driven by law, order, and justice. Needless to say, governments must establish the fear of law among perpetrators to set fine examples. This can be done with stringent punishments that will make potential criminals think twice before committing an unlawful act. However, giving the death penalty is not the solution. It is the enactment of another crime, in fact. Therefore, better laws and reestablishment policies should be introduced in the world's countries to help such sick-minded people come out of the evil circle and adopt the path of peace and betterment.