The Ethics Of Capital Punishment

Introduction

Ethics is the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles, meaning that ethics is the discussion of a community's morals and the behavior associated with these morals. In this report, I will be discussing the ethical issue of Capital Punishment - that is, the legally authorised killing of someone as punishment for a crime.

The Death Penalty was introduced in 1842, and abolished in 1961. Within the 119 years that the Death Penalty was practiced in New Zealand, 85 people were executed by hanging. Countries such as the United States, who still practice capital punishment, use a lethal injection of chemicals that paralyse the criminal and stop their heart beating as their primary form capital punishment, Other practices

Those who agree with the practice of capital punishment can make points about justice or closure, where family members of those murdered can be at peace knowing that the killer of their family member is now deprived of life too. Others believe that the execution of murderers will deter people from committing homicide - even though results have proven that this is a false assumption. Some use the philosophy of “an eye for an eye” meaning that if someone refuses another person's right to live, then that person should in turn lose their right to live.

Because ending someone’s life is such a permanent and final decision, and because of the flaws in the justice system, there are a lot of people that argue that those sentenced to death row may not always be responsible for the crime they have been convicted for. According to Amnesty International, since 1973, 140 death row inmates have been released from their sentences due to new evidence that proves the accused is not guilty. In this time, 1,200 people have been executed in the US. Amnesty International has responded to this ethical issue by creating a Death Penalty Abolition

3 points that many Satanists believe in that would influence their view on capital punishment would be firstly, the concept of Lex Talionis, the idea that when you take someone's life you lose your own. Secondly, Satanists believe that once you’re 18 years old, you are an adult and therefore responsible for your actions. Satanists also believe that they are agents of their own fate. Therefore, if a Satanist were to murder someone and the events following the crime led up to their execution, then they will need to take responsibility for it and accept the consequences.

Implications

Some implications of sending inmates to Death Row could be the damage to mental health while a criminal is waiting for their execution. This can be torturous and harmful for someone who is forced to wait a lengthy period of time in prison, not knowing which day would be their last. The cost of the legally killing someone is also more than the cost of letting someone live the rest of their life in prison.