Capital punishment, or better known as the death penalty, is defined as the legal authorization to kill someone as punishment for a crime. This form of penalty has been present for a long period of time, dating back its origins to the 18th century BC under the Code of King Hammurabi in ancient Mesopotamia. Along its history, murder as a form of chastisement is a noticeable characteristic in ancient cultures. It was implemented in the Hittite Code, Draconian Code of Athens, Roman Law of Twelve-tablets, Mosaic Law, etc. and all presented violent and cruel forms of execution. These methods reflect a primitive way of resolving conflicts for a broken law, but today we live in a civilized world where respecting human rights is as important as determining a lawful sentence.
It is claimed capital punishment has no place in the 21st century.
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Since 1907 the death penalty has been eliminated under the constitution. Under Uruguayan law it is also prohibited the extradition of an individual to a country where the penalty sanctioned is greater than the one applied in Uruguay. Unless the state agrees to not apply death penalty as a form of resolution. Uruguay doesn’t believe capital punishment is a method to solve corruption and criminality, these cases are punished individually by long sentences in prison and expensive fines. The Republic of Uruguay has actively participated in providing an end to capital punishment. It has been involved in international treaties on the death penalty and human rights, more specifically on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Stature of the Criminal Court, the Protocol to the American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture, etc. More recently Uruguay co-sponsored and voted favorably on the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly on December