Capital Punishment in Canada Essay - 854 Words

Capital Punishment in Canada nbsp; As violence becomes an increasing concern among Canadians, people are calling for the reinstatement of capital punishment. This controversial issue has been ailing politicians and public morality since its abolition in 1976. As one examines the arguments for and against the reinstatement of capital punishment; examples of modern day cases dealing with capital punishment; and statistics on such cases, one can better appreciate the reasons why this barbaric form of punishment should remain in the past. nbsp; Unfortunately, like most Americans, many Canadians believe in the barbaric an eye for an eye rule of restitution. This belief is the basis for the argument for the reinstatement†¦show more content†¦I didnt tie anybody to a stretcher. I didnt pump poison into anybodys veins from behind a locked door. You call this justice. I call this and your society a bunch of cold-blooded murderers. (Infamous last words) nbsp; This statement, and others like it, has raised morality questions which haunt politicians and citizens alike. When the state takes away ones life, how is this action more moral than the original crime? The government represents its people. When the government condones such morbid actions to be taken place legally, what message does this send out to its people? The answers to these questions can be seen in the statistics offered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This report offers the following facts: nbsp; At the end of 1998, the US held 3,452 prisoners on death row, which is a 4% increase from 1997. On December 31, 1998, the youngest death row inmate was 18 years old and the eldest was 83. The average age was 38 years old. As of the end of 1998, the execution of prisoners 16 years old or younger was permissible in a dozen states. Eight of which did not specify a minimum age for which the death penalty could be imposed. 34 of the 38 capital punishment states use lethal injection. Electrocution is the sole execution method in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Nebraska. Delaware, New Hampshire and the state of Washington permit hanging as a method of execution. Idaho, Oklahoma, and Utah authorize firing squads.Show MoreRelated Capital Punishment in Canada Essay2901 Words   |  12 Pages Capital punishment is crimes most dreaded consequence, death. Hanging was Canadas form of capital punishment up until 1976 when it was abolished. Websters Dictionary defines capital punishments as: The penalty of death for the commission of a crime. (Websters, 1994, 43). The chance of capital punishment being reinstated in Canada has been very slim up until now. Recently the Canadian Alliance Party has put forth efforts to reinstate it, which has put the controversial topic back upRead MoreA Look on the Impact of Capital Punishment in Canada1240 Words   |  5 PagesCapital punishment was the most severe punishment within the Canadian Justice system before it was abolished in the 1970’s. It is still used in many other countries around the world such as the United States, China and India, as it is believed to lower the crime rate within their country. Capital punishment was basically a form of torturing the suspect, but to their death as a consequence of their heinous crim e. Many believe that capital punishment should be reinstated into Canada, while others areRead MoreShould Capital Punishment Stay Illegal in Canada?636 Words   |  2 Pagesone of the reasons why I think it should remain illegal in Canada. The sentence doesn’t deter crime, (citation needed) and in some cases it only exasperates the crime which it was supposed to deter. Also, in order to keep an inmate on death row it costs on average ninety thousand dollars more than keeping an inmate for a life sentence, in the United States (Baskey-East, S. 2014). California has approximately the same population of Canada, and it uses the death penalty (37 million and 35 million peopleRead MoreCapital Punishment Infringes Upon Human Rights and Should Not be Reinstated in Canada2570 Words   |  11 PagesIn today’s society, capital punishment is a particularly controversial issue. The death penalty known for its barbaric form of punishment began in 1892 lasting for 69 years before bill C-84 was passed by the House of Commons resulting in the removal of the death penalty. 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Lucas and Turpin were the last to be executed under capital punishment and since then Canada has stopped this practiceRead MoreCompartive Legal Systems Canada vs Usa1691 Words   |  7 PagesComparative Legal Systems (Canada vs. USA) Thesis: Canadas criminal justice system, specifically laws dealing with punishment, is far superior to that of the United States Canada and the United States of America are two neighboring countries who besides the border share numerous other key aspects. Though similar in beliefs and culture the two countries are far from alike. Their legal structure particularly the penal system is one of most significant boundaries between Canada and the United States.Read MoreCapital Punishment Deters Murder, and Is Just Retribution1364 Words   |  6 PagesCapital Punishment Deters Murder, and Is Just Retribution Capital punishment, is the execution of criminals by the state, for committing crimes, regarded so heinous, that this is the only acceptable punishment. Capital punishment does not only lower the murder rate, but it s value as retribution alone is a good reason for handing out death sentences. Support for the death penalty in the U.S. has risen to an average of 80% according to an article written by Richard Worsnop, entitled DeathRead MoreThe Abolition Of The Death Penalty1552 Words   |  7 Pagespenalty 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 capital punishments either. The first recorded death penalty in Canada was in 1749, as a sailorRead MorePunishing Criminals by Death Will Deter Future Crimes...or Not?1216 Words   |  5 Pagesexample of Canada. How crime was not deterred by the imposition of death penalty as a tool used by the system of justice. The essay states some of the research that has been conducted with the intention of proving that capital punishment can deter crimes. This paper points out the effects and imposition of capital punishments on criminal activities. The paper finally makes a conclusion on the issue of capital punishment as deterrence. Introduction Many people assume that punishment by deathRead MoreCapital Punishment And Its Economic, Political, And Social Impact On The United States Of America1739 Words   |  7 PagesINTRODUCTION Capital punishment, also frequently referred to as the  death penalty, is a government certified practice where a person is put to death by the state as a form of punishment for a crime they have committed (Henderson, 25). Crimes that are found punishable by death are referred to as  capital crimes  or  capital offences, and commonly include offences such as murder, treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide (Henderson, 48-9). The term  capital  is derived from the  Latin term