Discussion on Arguments for and against Capital punishment

Arguments for and against Capital punishment

The Reasons for Capital Punishment

Capital punishment or also famous as the death penalty defines as a punishment practice given to a criminal which approved and sanctioned by the government, whereas a criminal will be killed by the country due to committing a crime. In ancient history, this capital punishment was applied for various reasons that today’s people will see those reasons as cruel ones. Many cultures in past days used this type of punishment for criminals who have done magic, blasphemy, sexual crimes, or violation of Sabbath. Nowadays, some countries punish criminals with a death penalty, or so-called ‘execution' for committing murders, treason, and espionage. The countries in the Middle East punishes the criminals with execution for committing human trafficking and some several corruption n cases, rape, and apostasy. In some countries, the death penalty practiced by using an electric chair or lethal injection. On the other hand, some other countries still use old styles such as hanging the criminals until death (Durlauf, Fu, & Navarro, 2013).

Countries that Pro and Against Capital Punishment

            Capital Punishment or the death penalty, or else execution is still being a serious argument across the world. The reason is due to this death penalty basically is a subject matter that can be described vary depends on the ideology and political state in a country. For example, Nigeria and the United States are two countries which listed amongst those that use this death penalty to punish the criminals. On the other hand, the United Kingdom and Brazil are the two countries that abolished the use of the death penalty for the criminals (Durlauf, Fu, & Navarro, 2013).  

Why the United Kingdom does not allow the Use of Capital Punishment

 The United Kingdom is one of the countries across the world that does not allow the use of capital punishment or execution for the criminals. If we take a look at history, this death penalty was actually used in the United Kingdom from ancient times up till the middle of the 20th century. In fact, the last death penalty was practiced in the country by hanging a criminal held in 1964. The death penalty was abolished in the country since 1969 but still remained to be legal for some crimes like treason. Finally, this death penalty was totally abolished in the United Kingdom in 1998 (Kent, 2010).

The main reason stated by the United Kingdom was regarding the value of human life. The society in this country believes that even the wickedest murderers must not be underprivileged of their lives’ value. In addition to this, the United Kingdom also believes that by giving a death penalty to the criminals, then they will only lead to brutalizing the society and even will lead to more murder cases in the country. The reason is due to the family or relatives of the executed criminals might unable to accept this death penalty, and thus, they might take an act of revenge on behalf of the executed.

Moreover, some lawyers and justice officers in the United Kingdom also have proposed that this death penalty should be abolished due to it has the capability to generate an unacceptable connection between the violence and the law. This applies significantly to the violence since the death penalty punishes violent crimes, and it also applies the types of punishments that extremely and violently restrict the freedoms of humans. Also, philosophically the laws will always get involved with the violence since one of its functions is to preserve society from any type of violent occasion. Thus, the United Kingdom has strictly described that a strong case should be performed in the context that legal violence is totally different from criminal violence. Another reason for the country to abolish the death penalty is due to the assumption that civilized societies would never tolerate any kind of torture. In the same case, numbers of the citizens in the United Kingdom believe that this death penalty is an appropriate method to be performed in the modern and civilized society to punish the criminals, even those who have committed the most dreadful crimes (William W. Berry III, 2010).

Why Nigeria uses capital punishment in the country?

            On the other side, Nigeria has known as one of the countries in the world that use the death penalty to punish criminals. A report from the international watchdog has even mentioned that in 2017, about 621 people were condemned to death in Nigeria, notwithstanding for more than 2,000 people were being listed on death row (Timeslive.co.za, 2018).  Furthermore, the death penalty has been known as a legal punishment in this country. The methods of performing this death penalty are by shooting, hanging, stoning, and also lethal injection. The types of crimes that punished with this death penalty are mentioned such as murder, rape, kidnapping, terrorism-related crimes, blasphemy, robbery, sodomy, adultery, homosexuality, and all types of indigenous beliefs that applying the Shariah law, which is the traditional Islamic law. Furthermore, the Federal Constitution of Nigeria includes a number of provisions that associate to the subject of the death penalty in Nigeria (Peiffer, 2004).

            The first perform of the death penalty in Nigeria was conducted in the 18th century B. C. where King Hammurabi of Babylon decided to apply the death penalty for 25 types of crimes. It appears that Nigeria uses the death penalty to punish the criminals to make them realize almost each painful or unpleasantness that has suffered from their crimes’ victims. In addition to this, Nigerian also declared that this death penalty is a quite realistic one for a criminal who has taken another person's life, or those criminals who have intimidated the life or survival of a country. In fact, they even added that this death penalty is basically an attempt to melt down or prevent those offenders of violent crimes to become incapable of committing other serious crimes or some acts which could bother the society in the country (Onuoha, 2013).

 Compare Reasons of Arguments for and against Capital punishment

            If we observe the use of capital punishment for criminals across the world, we should be able to see from both sides of arguments. In the United Kingdom, this type of punishment is not being used due to the people there are concern around the human rights, norms, and they more believe that a civilized society would never use the type of punishment that would cause death even for the most dreadful criminals. This is due to the United Kingdom is one of the countries across the world who believe that every single human being has their rights, even for those criminals as well. They also have the same right to value their lives.

            On the other hand, there are still some countries that use this death penalty to punish criminals such as Nigeria. In this context, Nigeria has presented some of the reasons why they still use this type of punishment in the country. The government along with the legislative there believes that by giving the death penalty to punish the criminals in Nigeria will make the people there be fear and think twice to do any types of crime that would take the lives of others. For this reason, the country performs capital punishment or death penalty to make the criminals feel exactly the same way as their victims' felt.

In my opinion, this capital punishment should be abolished, The United Kingdom has presented a stronger reason than Nigeria as this death penalty will only brutalize the society rather than preventing them to do the crimes. In fact, the United Kingdom also has stated that those relatives of the executed ones might unable to accept the punishment, and thus, will lead them to take revenge and perform other murders. Hence, it has brutalized society and lead this death penalty to become a never-ending case (Brook, 2014).

Even though some countries like Nigeria states that this death penalty is part of their laws since ancient times, but they have to accept that society nowadays is more civilized and some of them might unable to accept this type of punishment to have existed any longer. In addition to this, our generation these days are more critical when it comes to human rights violation. Since the death penalty was considered to violate the human rights to live, then this type of punishment is really needed to be abolished.

Conclusion of Arguments for and against Capital punishment

 Capital punishment or death penalty, or else execution has been a big and serious argument that appears among the countries whole over the world. Some countries such as the United Kingdom have been abolished this punishment with perfect reasons such as it violates human rights and brutalizes society. On the other hand, there are still some other countries such as Nigeria that up till now still practicing this death penalty to punish the criminals in the country. The main reason stated from Nigeria is to make the criminals feel what their victims' feel, and thus, it would prevent the criminal cases in the country by making the people fear of the death penalty.

Despite these two opposite arguments, the world needs to realize that crimes will not stop with answering with crimes. But still, since there are many countries. For example, Nigeria and the United States are two countries which listed amongst those that use this death penalty to punish the criminals.

 On the other hand, the United Kingdom and Brazil are the two countries that abolished the use of the death penalty for the criminals. Thus, this might be an ongoing and never-ending topic to be discussed.