By Ioannis Sistovaris, Year 12
By definition, capital punishment, also known as the death penalty (and formerly called judicial homicide) is the “state-sanctioned practice of killing a person as a punishment for a crime”.
In recent decades, there has been a clear movement away from capital punishment, as many countries have either abolished the death penalty or discontinued its use. Precisely, more than 70% of the world’s countries have abolished its practice. This shift reflects a growing consensus that the death penalty violates the fundamental right to life, making its abolishment a pressing global human rights issue and heated argument in today’s society
However, it continues to exist in many parts of the world, especially in countries with large populations or those with authoritarian rule, notably China, Egypt, Iran, and some states of the USA.
However, amongst the reasons I have decided to write this article is that I want to share my opinion on why I believe it is crucial to acknowledge the need for this worldwide abolishment…
Firstly, the risk of executing innocent people exists in any justice system, as there have been and always will be cases of executions of innocent people who were wrongfully accused. Opposed to sentences like life imprisonment, the death penalty is irreversible, leading to the possible death of innocent individuals.
Secondly, despite claims of it being a deterrence, studies have consistently shown that the death penalty does not effectively reduce crime rates. In fact, countries without this punishment often have lower crime rates than those who do, indicating that other factors play a more significant role in crime prevention. This hereby underlines the need for its abolishment as the main justification claimed by governments advocating for its use is the fact that it “reduces crime rates”, which has been proven to be incorrect.
Additionally, in theory, the death penalty is only meant to punish the most serious crimes, like murder or terrorism. However, some governments who still use this sentence have been shown to use executions freely and for non-lethal crimes. According to Amnesty International, almost 40% of all known executions are for drug-related offences, while in countries like Iran, people were executed for protesting the regime. This therefore invalidates the original purpose of this sentence, highlighting the horrific way it has recently been used.
Lastly and most obviously, the death penalty is an extremely immoral practice. Precisely, as Albert Camus once said, “capital punishment is the most premeditated of murders”, which truly is correct. Do you really believe the ethical way to deal with crimes is by committing more crimes?
In conclusion, I believe that after exemplifying all the previously mentioned reasons for its abolishment, it is clear that this is a needed change for the ethical and moral compass of our world. It is the duty of world organisations to advocate for this legislative change as it is urgently needed in order to not only abolish this cruel practice, but also to prevent the horrid killing of innocent individuals.
