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Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the State as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. The word "capital" is derived from the Latin "capitalis," which means "concerning the head"; therefore, to be subjected to capital punishment means to figuratively lose your head. Historically, the execution of criminals and political opponents was used by nearly all societies both to punish crime and to suppress political dissent. Among democratic countries around the world, most European and Latin American states have abolished capital punishment while the United States, Guatemala, and most of the Caribbean as well as democracies in Asia and Africa retain it. Among nondemocratic countries, the use of the death penalty is common but not universal.
In most places that practice capital punishment today, the death penalty is reserved as a punishment for premeditated murder, espionage, treason, or as part of military justice. In some majority-Muslim countries sexual crimes, including adultery and sodomy, carry the death penalty, as do religious crimes such as apostasy, the formal renunciation of one's religion. In many retentionist countries drug trafficking is also a capital offense. In China human trafficking and serious cases of corruption are also punished by the death penalty. In militaries around the world courts-martial have imposed death sentences for offenses such as cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny.
Capital punishment is a contentious issue. Supporters of capital punishment argue that it deters crime, prevents recidivism, and is an appropriate retribution for the crime of murder. Opponents of capital punishment argue that it does not deter crime more than life imprisonment, violates human rights, leads to executions of some who are wrongfully convicted, and discriminates against minorities and the poor.
More on [ Capital punishment ]
Death Penalty :: Crime and Justice
RT @thenation: http://bit.ly/65xxKB Amazing- intellectuals give up rationalizing capital punishment.
annemm13 (anne meador) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:33:33 -0000
RT @thenation: http://bit.ly/65xxKB Amazing- intellectuals give up rationalizing capital punishment.
Assessing the justice of capital punishment cases is the topic of conversation on our blog: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shortstack/
BookWorld (BookWorld) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:13:37 -0000
Assessing the justice of capital punishment cases is the topic of conversation on our blog: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shortstack/
@sbtvonline if you threw snow at the queen they'd probably bring back capital punishment, just for you!
TherryiJay (Therryi Jay Brown) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:44:27 -0000
@sbtvonline if you threw snow at the queen they'd probably bring back capital punishment, just for you!
"Iâm disappointed that my own Catholic Church has decided that capital punishment is wrong. Which is..." http://tumblr.com/xrq5bev3v
mikesova (Michael Sova) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:51:40 -0000
"I’m disappointed that my own Catholic Church has decided that capital punishment is wrong. Which is..." http://tumblr.com/xrq5bev3v
Capital Punishment: Annapolis Capital Punishment To Resume Regular Publishing Soon: Yes, CP has been taking a brea... http://bit.ly/67ASUk
marylandBNN (marylandBNN) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:48:54 -0000
Capital Punishment: Annapolis Capital Punishment To Resume Regular Publishing Soon: Yes, CP has been taking a brea... http://bit.ly/67ASUk
American Law Institute Ceases Work on Capital Punishment | Texas ... http://bit.ly/8Q9dPs
fairnessatwork (Yancey Thomas) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:11:56 -0000
American Law Institute Ceases Work on Capital Punishment | Texas ... http://bit.ly/8Q9dPs
Bring Back Capital Punishment Page - Pro-Death Penalty Canadian site with links.
Canada Protest Page's Capital Punishment Petition - Online petition to bring back the death penalty.
Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty - Not for profit international human rights group. Educates and agitates against the death penalty worldwide including opposition to its reinstatement in Canada. Site includes essays, articles and resources.
Capital Punishment in Canada - Essay advocating a referendum on the death penalty.
Meta Description: [ The Right Repartee is a forum for conservative discussions and repartee. Several political issues are dealt with. ]
Capital Punishment in Canada - Justice Canada - Department of Justice Canada's fact sheet on capital punishment in Canada.
Meta Description: [ Department of Justice Canada's Internet site ]
Death penalty abolished in Canada - CBC Archives - After a decade of furious debate, Canadian Parliament narrowly votes to abolish capital punishment in 1976. Includes video from this historic day in Canada.
Meta Description: [ After a decade of furious debate, Canadian Parliament narrowly votes to abolish capital punishment. ]
Death Penalty Debate - CBC Archives - Audio and video links from the CBC Archives capture key events in the history of the capital punishment issue in Canada.
Minister's Statement on Capital Punishment - Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Anne McLellan responds to the Canadian Police Association's call for reinstatement of the death penalty in Canada.
Meta Description: [ Department of Justice Canada's Internet site ]
The death penalty in Canada: Twenty years of abolition - Amnesty International examines the history of the death penalty in Canada from 1892 through its abolition in 1976 and the record since then.
U.S. influence on Canada ends with death penalty - Florida newspaper column examining the death penalty in Canada.
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