Capital punishment, also known as death penalty can be defined as punishment by death. A person may be sentenced to death after being found guilty of a capital crime, also known as capital offence. Examples of capital crimes punished by death in most countries around the world includes murder, drug trafficking, terrorism, adultery, economic crimes, treason, rape, sorcery, among others. In the past, criminals, religious rebels and political dissidents in most societies were sentenced to death. Criminals were usually subjected to torture before they were executed publicly. Capital punishment has been a subject of controversy in several countries, where differences in political ideologies and cultures have led to different stands. Over the past few years, the practice has attracted a lot of condemnation from the international human rights law …show more content…
Most of the other countries have either completely abolished it or are still maintaining it for special circumstances such as war crimes. When it comes to minors, almost all countries in the world do not inflict this punishment. However, despite being against international law, some countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran and Pakistan have conducted these executions. Studies carried out show that the modern day public opinion on capital punishment varies across different countries and also depending on the committed crime. A Gallup poll conducted in 2010 shows that New Zealand, Australia and Norway are among countries where the public is against capital punishment. In the U.S., about 64% of the population is in favor of the capital punishment against murder crimes. In other countries like India and China, executions are on the rise as they struggle to control the increased crime rates. Although capital punishment was abolished in South Africa, a poll carried out recently shows that around 76% of the public are in support of its