DEATH PENALTY
HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
The history of the death penalty spans centuries, with its origins rooted in ancient civilizations such as Babylon. Throughout history, different societies employed diverse methods, including crucifixion, hanging, and beheading, as forms of capital punishment.
Death penalty is the state sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime.
The crimes that are punished by death are known as capital crimes, capital offences and capital felonie.
EXECUTIONS
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
The great majority of executions were carried out by the following methods: - beheading - hanging - lethal injection - shooting - electric chair
134 nations have abolished capital punishment either in law or in practice. However, the death penalty is still carried out in 54 countries. Iran and China are the world’s leading executioners.
INTRODUCTION
Death penalty is the state sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime. The act of carrying out the sentence is called an execution. Executions are carried out by many methods like: hanging, shooting, lethal injection, stoning, electrocution and gassing. The crimes that are punished by death are known as capital crimes, capital offences and capital felonies; but there are also other serious crimes that can be punished with one of the methods previously listed, for example crimes against a person or against the state. Even though the majority of the nations have abolished capital punishments, 60% of the population lives in countries where the death penalty is retained. 57 countries still retain capital punishments, more than 2000 people are sentenced to death every year and more or less 900 people were executed in 2022.
HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has always existed, its history is intertwined with slavery, segregation and social reform movements. The first established death penalty laws date before the Eighteen Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi, in which was codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes, such as rape, robbery or unfounded accusations. In the Seventh Century B.C. death was made the punishment for all crimes in Athens, the sentences were carried out by different means such as drawing, crucifixion and burning alive. In ancient Rome death penalty was often considered unusual and exceptional, in fact they preferred alternative sentences as exile, confiscation of property, torture or prison.
HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY
During the middle ages capital punishment was really common in Europe, in particular for women because they were considered Satanic witches. The executions were often accompanied by torture with painful methods, such as boiling alive, impalement, hanging, drawing and quartering. During the Enlightenment in the 18th century, due to the emergence of modern nation states, there was a growing movement toward the idea of individual rights, for that reason people started to revolt against the arbitrary and brutal nature of the death penalty.
One of the most relevant reformers was Cesare Beccaria, who demanded the abolition of the death penalty with his treatise ‘On Crimes and Punishments’. In the 19th century, many countries began to limit the number of offenses punishable by death and to adopt more humane methods of execution, such as the electric chair and the gas chamber. Additionally, some countries abolished the death penalty, the first one was Romania in 1865, followed by Portugal and Netherlands. The 20th century saw both the expansion and contraction of the death penalty. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, abolished it; while others, like the United States, continued to use the death penalty extensively. In particular, the authoritarian states, as those with Fascist or Communist governments, employed the death penalty as a potent means of political oppression or it was also applied to maintain military discipline.
ARGUMENT FOR:
DEATH PENALTY IS NECESSARY!!
- it can help restore a moral balance, punishment must be limited and proportional - it can help bring closure for victims’ families - it gives an example for those who think of committing a crime and it might change their mind - sometimes it’s the right punishment when compared to other crimes and the sentences given to them - it can be more cost-effective than life imprisonment without parole
ARGUMENT AGAINST:
- innocent person might be executed for no reason, and there wouldn’t be a way to save them because it’s an irrevocable punishment - it does not deter crime, in fact it isn’t more effective than life imprisonment - it’s not ethical for medical professional to participate in executions since medicine is only to be applied for the benefit of the sick - it violates the fundamental human right to life - it denies the possibility of rehabilitation and the potential for individuals to change
NO TO DEATH PENALTY!
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
134 nations have abolished capital punishment either in law or in practice.
However, the death penalty is still carried out in 54 countries, such as the United States, Japan, Singapore, China, India, and most Islamic states. Most of the countries where the death penalty is still practiced are either in war or have a strong dictatorship. As a matter of fact, Iran and China are the world’s leading executioners. China has the highest number of executions although the exact data is often opaque and unofficial. 2,016 death sentences have been recorded in 52 countries in 2022, but less than an half of them have been executed. These executions were carried out by the following methods: beheading, hanging, lethal injection, shooting.
Alessio Ceola, Vittoria Paiola, Giorgia Gazzea
OUR OPINIONS
ALESSIO’S OPINION: while I can understand why death penalty was removed from certain countries laws, I think that every State should use death penalty but only in extreme cases, like a mass murder, a gang rape or a civil war, but the main problem that this can have is that someone could abuse it and use death penalty even for minor things like pickpocketing or shoplifting. VITTORIA’S OPINION: I don’t think the death penalty is the solution. In my opinion it’s better to keep the criminal alive, give him a life sentence and have him followed by a psychotherapist in order to give him the possibility to change and reflect on the crime committed. Sentencing someone to death it’s like stooping to his level and demonstrating to be like him.
GIORGIA'S OPINION: I’m convinced that the death penalty isn’t the right sentence to give to a person, who committed a crime, because they have to pay their penalities staying alive and regretting it bitterly. I think that a life sentence would be more useful because the person will reflect on the crime. However, at the same time it could be useful because some people, who are scared of death, might ponder more and more before committing a crime.
death penalty
giorgia gazzea
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Transcript
DEATH PENALTY
HISTORY
INTRODUCTION
The history of the death penalty spans centuries, with its origins rooted in ancient civilizations such as Babylon. Throughout history, different societies employed diverse methods, including crucifixion, hanging, and beheading, as forms of capital punishment.
Death penalty is the state sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime.
The crimes that are punished by death are known as capital crimes, capital offences and capital felonie.
EXECUTIONS
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
The great majority of executions were carried out by the following methods: - beheading - hanging - lethal injection - shooting - electric chair
134 nations have abolished capital punishment either in law or in practice. However, the death penalty is still carried out in 54 countries. Iran and China are the world’s leading executioners.
INTRODUCTION
Death penalty is the state sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime. The act of carrying out the sentence is called an execution. Executions are carried out by many methods like: hanging, shooting, lethal injection, stoning, electrocution and gassing. The crimes that are punished by death are known as capital crimes, capital offences and capital felonies; but there are also other serious crimes that can be punished with one of the methods previously listed, for example crimes against a person or against the state. Even though the majority of the nations have abolished capital punishments, 60% of the population lives in countries where the death penalty is retained. 57 countries still retain capital punishments, more than 2000 people are sentenced to death every year and more or less 900 people were executed in 2022.
HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has always existed, its history is intertwined with slavery, segregation and social reform movements. The first established death penalty laws date before the Eighteen Century B.C. in the Code of King Hammurabi, in which was codified the death penalty for 25 different crimes, such as rape, robbery or unfounded accusations. In the Seventh Century B.C. death was made the punishment for all crimes in Athens, the sentences were carried out by different means such as drawing, crucifixion and burning alive. In ancient Rome death penalty was often considered unusual and exceptional, in fact they preferred alternative sentences as exile, confiscation of property, torture or prison.
HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY
During the middle ages capital punishment was really common in Europe, in particular for women because they were considered Satanic witches. The executions were often accompanied by torture with painful methods, such as boiling alive, impalement, hanging, drawing and quartering. During the Enlightenment in the 18th century, due to the emergence of modern nation states, there was a growing movement toward the idea of individual rights, for that reason people started to revolt against the arbitrary and brutal nature of the death penalty. One of the most relevant reformers was Cesare Beccaria, who demanded the abolition of the death penalty with his treatise ‘On Crimes and Punishments’. In the 19th century, many countries began to limit the number of offenses punishable by death and to adopt more humane methods of execution, such as the electric chair and the gas chamber. Additionally, some countries abolished the death penalty, the first one was Romania in 1865, followed by Portugal and Netherlands. The 20th century saw both the expansion and contraction of the death penalty. Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, abolished it; while others, like the United States, continued to use the death penalty extensively. In particular, the authoritarian states, as those with Fascist or Communist governments, employed the death penalty as a potent means of political oppression or it was also applied to maintain military discipline.
ARGUMENT FOR:
DEATH PENALTY IS NECESSARY!!
- it can help restore a moral balance, punishment must be limited and proportional - it can help bring closure for victims’ families - it gives an example for those who think of committing a crime and it might change their mind - sometimes it’s the right punishment when compared to other crimes and the sentences given to them - it can be more cost-effective than life imprisonment without parole
ARGUMENT AGAINST:
- innocent person might be executed for no reason, and there wouldn’t be a way to save them because it’s an irrevocable punishment - it does not deter crime, in fact it isn’t more effective than life imprisonment - it’s not ethical for medical professional to participate in executions since medicine is only to be applied for the benefit of the sick - it violates the fundamental human right to life - it denies the possibility of rehabilitation and the potential for individuals to change
NO TO DEATH PENALTY!
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
134 nations have abolished capital punishment either in law or in practice. However, the death penalty is still carried out in 54 countries, such as the United States, Japan, Singapore, China, India, and most Islamic states. Most of the countries where the death penalty is still practiced are either in war or have a strong dictatorship. As a matter of fact, Iran and China are the world’s leading executioners. China has the highest number of executions although the exact data is often opaque and unofficial. 2,016 death sentences have been recorded in 52 countries in 2022, but less than an half of them have been executed. These executions were carried out by the following methods: beheading, hanging, lethal injection, shooting.
Alessio Ceola, Vittoria Paiola, Giorgia Gazzea
OUR OPINIONS
ALESSIO’S OPINION: while I can understand why death penalty was removed from certain countries laws, I think that every State should use death penalty but only in extreme cases, like a mass murder, a gang rape or a civil war, but the main problem that this can have is that someone could abuse it and use death penalty even for minor things like pickpocketing or shoplifting. VITTORIA’S OPINION: I don’t think the death penalty is the solution. In my opinion it’s better to keep the criminal alive, give him a life sentence and have him followed by a psychotherapist in order to give him the possibility to change and reflect on the crime committed. Sentencing someone to death it’s like stooping to his level and demonstrating to be like him. GIORGIA'S OPINION: I’m convinced that the death penalty isn’t the right sentence to give to a person, who committed a crime, because they have to pay their penalities staying alive and regretting it bitterly. I think that a life sentence would be more useful because the person will reflect on the crime. However, at the same time it could be useful because some people, who are scared of death, might ponder more and more before committing a crime.