Capital Punishment

Name : Courtney C . Williams

Class : Law and Government

Assignment : Research

Tutor : Mr . Roscoe

Date : November 26 , 2007

Capital punishment is nothing but a punishment that government uses as an easy way to get out of a complicated situation . Capital punishment is also called the death penalty . It is the termination of the life of a criminal as a punishment for committing a crime an offense which is known as capital crime and capital offenses respectively

This type of punishment has been in use in almost all societies since time

immemorial some countries have abolished the use of capital punishment while others allow it only in exceptional situations . In Brazil , a treason crime is punished by murder espionage treason or taking military injustices . To some countries , even crime like adultery rape and sodomy merit death penalty . Human trafficking and serious cases of corruption in china are punished also punished by death . Death penalties are also applied in court martial to victims who portray cowardice , mutiny or appear rebellious and show insubordination

The place of capital punishment in society is controversial . It is a very sensitive and contentions issue . Its proponents argue that when it is properly applied it can reduce crime by making recidivists to reform and that it is the only appropriate way of punishing murderers . On the other hand , the opponents hold the view that capital punishment cannot in anyway slow down the rate at which crimes are committed , it is not the right method of punishment because a person who is wrongly convicted guilty cannot get a chance of appealing for justice , and it can be used to suppress those who try to oppose them . Also , death sentence does not give one a chance to re-assess their selves , reform and may make new resolutions of leading positive lives (Junkin T ,2004 185 ) shows how Blood worth K . a strong opponent of capital sentence narrates his ordeal in the prison after he was charged with murder and child rape . He appealed after he was sentenced to death and a DNA test was conducted Later he was released from prison and started agitating for 159 others who were wrongly convicted and others who are waiting for DNA test Blood worth is a very strong opponent of capital punishment

The latest country of all in the world to do away with death sentence for all crimes is Rwanda in 2007 and Gabon also in the same year 2007 in September it abolished capital sentence as a way of punishing the law breakers

Myself I am a very strong opponent of death penalty as a form of punishment to the law breakers . This is because a person who is innocent can be put to death by being accused of committing a particular prohibited crime . Again in some regimes it 's the poor and the minorities who find themselves on the wrong side of the law by meriting this form of punishments

In some of these regimes corruption and injustice is the...