The Abolition Of The Death Penalty - 1552 Words

On 30th July 2015, Yakub Memon was hanged to death in India. The act was highly condemned in the media and many called for abolition of the death penalty. He was convicted of terrorism related charges for partaking in the 1993 Bombay bombings; a series of 13 bomb explosions that caused 257 fatalities and 717 wounded. The death penalty is used as a form of punishment in the eastern hemisphere for many crimes, such as espionage, terrorism, and first-degree murder. China holds the record for the largest amount of executions; the number remains largely disputed as death penalties are considered â€Å"state secret.† In some Middle Eastern countries crimes such as rape, adultery and theft also carry a death sentence. Canada is no stranger to†¦show more content†¦In Canada itself before confederation two hundred and twenty two crimes carried a death penalty, which was later reduced to three offences punishable by death: murder, rape, and treason. The concept of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), by UN members restricted the use of capital punishments to â€Å"most serious crimes.† Article 6 in ICCPR introduces the idea behind â€Å"most serious crimes†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgment rendered by a competent court.† Given the current events around the world, such as the attacks in Paris, Turkey, and Brussels, imposing death penalties on terrorism related charges could instill fear amongst people responsible for such mass destruction. Many would argue that suicide bombers consider it an honor to die for their cause and wouldn’t understand the seriousness of their acts. However the question arises, by putting terrorists, or serial perpetrators behind bars for life can they be reformed, or would it make sense to eliminate the danger once and for all, also eliminating the risk of people being recruited from within