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Is Death Penalty Effective?

Death penalty, also known as capital punishment, is normally considered for serious offences such as mass murder, child rape, and terrorism, among others. Hundred and forty six countries have abolished it in law or practice, but, surprisingly, nearly sixty per cent of the world’s population lives in the countries that have retained it. Its proponents argue that most heinous crimes deserve capital punishment. They contend that it would act as an effective deterrent. On the other hand, the opponents claim that death sentence violates the most fundamental human right, the right to life. They assert that there is no evidence that it will be a deterrent.

Those who support death penalty assert that punishment should fit the crime. Their contention is brutal crimes deserve tough punishments, and if it is a mass murder or child rape, the offenders should be punished with death. If the law punishes all crimes equally, it neither makes offenders realise the gravity of their act nor assuages the distress of the victims. Further, when the law does not act tough on heinous crimes, it emboldens habitual offenders and loses the trust of law-abiding citizens.

Proponents believe death penalty can be an effective deterrent. When perpetrators of horrific crimes are executed, fear of death can deter potential criminals. But, the situation today is capital punishment is not in law or practice in 146 countries, but three decades ago, only sixteen of them had abolished it. Those who campaign for death sentence assert that this has emboldened criminals. This is evident from the consistent rise in gruesome crimes universally especially in the last twenty years.

On the contrary, the opponents argue that death sentence violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Right to life. They contend that in some countries mentally and intellectually challenged people are sentenced to death following unfair trails. Further, people on death row spend many years, sometimes even longer than a decade, uncertain whether they will live the next moment or see their family members before they die.

Those who oppose death penalty argue deterrence should not be a reason to support it as there is no reliable evidence. Criminologists and others have been studying the changes in the murder rate against the likelihood of the murderers being executed. None of these studies have arrived at definite conclusions. Thus, opponents claim the argument that death sentence will be a deterrent is a fallacy and fails to take into account the role of social, economic, and cultural factors in the crime.

In conclusion, it is evident that there are viewpoints supporting and opposing death penalty. While both sides believe their arguments are reasonable, the decision to allow or end it should be based on extensive research.