Death Penalty

Jorūnė Rimeisytė
Lituanian Philology and Spanish
Year 1, Group 2
March 01, 2011

Death Penalty: a Cruel Murder or a Just Punishment?

      The death penalty or capital punishment is often an issue of controversy in today’s society. Many people believe that the idea of punishing a criminal by killing him is hard to fathom, while other people think that it is a fair punishment. However, despite the claims that the death penalty breaches the right to life, there is some evidence that the infliction of the death penalty is a reasonable penalisation for ferocity.
      The greatest benefit of the death penalty is that it serves as a deterrent. According to William C. Bailey’s study which reviewed 14 nations who abolished the death penalty, murders increased by 7% during the period of five years after the abolition. Hence, the death penalty is important because it can save the lives of many potential victims.
      Another point in favour of the death penalty is that it serves as retribution to felons. The Bible says that God was the one who established the execution for serious perpetrations as a payback. The Old Testament civil laws imposed it for various heinous crimes. On the whole, it is believed that the death penalty is a justifying repayment in kind.
      Meanwhile, the main arguments of the opposing side are that the main motive of the death penalty is to safe money and that innocent people are executed. However, the death penalty is much more expensive than life imprisonment and requires a long judicial process. Also, it is imposed only then there is strong evidence that the defendant is guilty.
      In conclusion, the death penalty will always stay as a subject of two different opinions. Nevertheless, it seems to serve perfectly as a highest form of justice. Moreover, the capital punishment truly helps to fight with delinquency, so consequently it really can be defined as a fair punishment.

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