Should Capital Punishment be restored in the U.K.?

Capital Punishment is the lawful infliction of death by the state as punishment for a wide variety of offences. The topic of Capital Punishment is an emotive one. Not only does it have the ability to provoke and divide public opinion, it also, most essentially, is an issue of life and death. Very few people do not have an opinion on it; you are either for it or against it. Through this piece, I will look at both sides of the argument, in order to evaluate if Capital Punishment is indeed something that should be consigned to history books, or if it’s needed now more than ever.

The movement towards the abolition of the death penalty appears to be a global one. By the end of 2005, from the one hundred and eighty nine nations in the U.N., one hundred and eight had abolished capital punishment compared to eighty one which still continue with the idea that, by taking revenge, and killing their criminals, society will be a better place for all. Seven of these countries and some states in the U.S., despite a ban, use capital punishment on juveniles and inmates with special educational needs, further showing that even the most fragile members of civilization, are subject to harsh punishments, instead of help, this despite the disapproval of liberal people across the world.  

The U.S.A., Korea and Japan are the only three fully developed and democratic countries that retain Capital Punishment, despite much pressure from other nations which have abolished capital punishment, namely those in Europe. It is strange that the U.S., a country which claims to be a beacon for justice and equality, a country which lobbies other less ‘wholesome’ nations to try to emulate it in terms of justice and law enforcement, still continues with the death penalty. Whatever your stance is on capital punishment, it has to be said that America’s image as the champion of democracy is definitely tarnished by its use of the death penalty.

Join now!

Men, the poor, the mentally ill and those of racial minorities are grossly over represented among those on death row, in America. Studies reveal that, statistically, only 1.6% of those executed, are women. Infact, practically all women who are convicted of murder are spared execution. Are female murderers less repugnant that men who comitt the same crime? 42% of those on death row are black, despite only 12% of the population being African- American. However, an even more shocking statistic is that sometimes it is not the race of the murderer that matters, but the race of the victim, ...

This is a preview of the whole essay