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The debate over whether the death penalty should be abolished or not is one of the top long-lasting and perfervid debated topics in the world. Some support the ' eye for an eye ' or ' life for life ' philosophy, while others believe that sanctioned death is wrong.
Humans are meant to live by following some rules and regulations. Breaking those rules is subject to punishment. The seriousness of the crime determines the degree of punishment. Since time immemorial, the concept of the death penalty has been used as a form of cruel punishment. Criminal acts and punishment have a profound impact on culture and civilization as they emerge from them. The death penalty, which is a form of capital punishment, has been used since the beginning of civilization on this globe. With the advancement of civilization, the methods of capital punishment have undergone tremendous humanized changes.
Many people believe that capital punishment is a violation of human rights. More than 70% of countries in the world have abolished the death penalty, either legally or in practice. But, the practice exists in various parts of the world, particularly in countries with larger populations and authoritarian governments. Because it is believed on the other side that the practice of the death penalty not only deters future crimes but also makes someone think twice about committing a fatal crime. However, the death penalty is a terrible reality that demonstrates that the world is filled with criminals and illegal activity.
Many ancient civilizations and tribal methods feature the death penalty as a part of their judicial systems. With tribal societies becoming social classes and the development of self-governed republics, the death penalty became a regular response to a range of crimes, including sexual assault, treason, and different military offenses. Written rules were developed to make people aware of the risks of indulging in any of these crimes and the first established death penalty rules can be found in King Hammurabi of Babylon's Code, which codified the death sentence for 25 different crimes in the Eighteenth Century B.C.
During the 20th century, millions of people were killed in battles between nations or states. Military systems used execution punishment as a way of maintaining discipline during this turbulent period. In many religious beliefs, the death penalty was being used for crimes, and it was practiced with the support of religious leaders. Today, the morality of capital punishment is no longer associated with any particular faith. The punishment has been left up to the discretion of the judicial system.
To date, the death penalty has been treated in accordance with international standards and rules safeguarding the right to life. Meanwhile, it has also been recognized as a legal sanction under international law under certain circumstances. Therefore it is to be noted that international law strongly advocates, but does not mandate or prohibit the abolition of the death sentence.
The graph demonstrates the number of abolitionist countries which have abolished the death penalty had been steadily increased from, 7 in 1945 to 108 in 2020. This trend clearly indicates that the world is at a tipping point to abolishing the death penalty. However, it is to be noted that there are a number 44 retentionist countries as of 2020.
The above graph demonstrates the globally recorded executions from 2011 to 2020. This implicates the death penalty is on its way out, as the number of executions has significantly fallen over the past decade. Concerns about human rights, discrimination, potential unjust convictions, and its effectiveness as a deterrent are some of the factors driving this significant decline.
It is also suggested to research other perspectives such as cost-effectiveness, fail-safe justice system and historical recognition, etc.
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