Capital Punishment Definition: A legal process whereby a person is put to death by the state as a punishment for a crime. Capital Punishment or death penalty as a means of giving justice has become the most controversial issue. With the rise in demand for human rights, taking away a criminal’s life has become the most controversial topic. Not only at the national level, but also at the global platform.

The prison system started for those people who have done wrong in their lives. Such people should be kept in confinement for some time and be given a chance to change and reform themselves. The idea works well in cases of theft, robbery and other minor crimes. Complications and problems arise, when the offence involves brutal and inhuman acts like murders, rape, mass-killing etc.

Capital Punishment Debate: Right or Wrong?

The 20th century was a violent period wherein, humanity lost tens of millions lives in wards between nations or states. Although, death was the punishment for crimes in many sacred religious documents and historically people did practice it widely. Today there is no agreement among religious faiths on the morality of capital punishment.

Now death penalty stands in great controversy over the right of society at large to deny a person’s right to life. Some people are of the view that none has the right to take away anyone’s life for any reason. Man cannot play God’s role nor should every try to. When one cannot give life, one has no right to take away anybody’s life. On the other side, people also take into consideration victim’s right to life. The criminal too has no right to take away anyone’s life for any reason at all. So, if he could go to the extent of taking away someone’s life, he too has no right to live in a civilised society. Various arguments on both sides can cited to support viewpoints that are poles apart.

Capital Punishment Essay: For and Against

Those who favor death penalty state that imprisonment is simply not a sufficient safeguard against the future actions of criminals. That is because it offers the possibility of escape. More timely enforcement of capital punishment would help to reduce the crime rate. In fact, some people consider execution to be more humane than life imprisonment because it is quick and instantaneous. Another argument against death penalty is that it costs more to imprison someone for life than to execute him / her.

And, those who are against Capital Punishment state that no one, not even the state, has the authority to play God. Contrary to the popular belief that death penalty reduces the crime rate, various surveys have shown that death penalty does not in any way reduce the occurrence of violent crimes. Capital Punishment is discriminatory because at times some innocent people are executed due to a faulty judgement. Another argument is that where does the difference lie between the criminals and the society? The society in turn commits the same offence of killing, when it punishes the criminal for taking away life.

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