Should the death penalty be allowed

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Outline project

Death Penalty

Research question : should the death penalty be allowed?

Historically, the death penalty also referred to as capital punishment has existed since the Eighteenth Century B.C. as a form of punishment for those convicted with various degrees of crimes. The practice continued in a low profile until the Tenth Century A.D where it became the habitual form of execution in Britain. The trends in Britain continued to rise throughout the subsequent centuries as scores of the practice were reported. Upon settling in the American colonies, the British introduced the practice in America for use in a range of crimes. Nevertheless, upon the advancements of the American civil rights and civil liberties, death penalty has been hotly contested. One side feel that the practice should be abolished, whereas the other section fill that the practice is justifiable and should continue.

Amid the prevailing dilemma, different groups have emerged. Each of the groups is either pushing for their agenda on either being proponents or opponents of the practice. Proponents of the practice insist that, it is important that those who commit the most heinous crimes need to be dealt with through the death penalty. On the other hand, opponents of the practice contend that, the government has no right to take human life.

Undoubtedly, death penalty is a controversial subject. It raises the concern of taking another person life, as well as ensuring that justice is served for those aggrieved. All the same, the practice continues to be the only sure means of ensuring that those commit the most heinous crimes receive the punishment that they deserve.

While supporting continuous use of the death penalty, changes on how the process need to be conducted ought to be embraced. Legal and executional practices relating to the aspect of death penalty ought to be defined in a manner that they ensure justice is delivered to both the accused, as well as the aggrieved parties.

In conducting further research on the subject of death penalty, a number of sources that include  books, journals, among other forms of secondary sources will be utilized.

Annotated bibliography

Research question : should the death penalty be allowed?

Warden, R. (2009). Reflection on Capital Punishment. Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy, 14(2). Retrieved from http://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1040&conte xt=njlsp

In this journal article, Warden discusses the main arguments against capital punishment. The argument is underscored with cases that help demonstrate the working of death penalty in practice and not theory. Some of the arguments used are that death penalty increases the violence cycle, it is expensive to maintain the costs for death penalty, and that there are cases where innocent person’s have been executed. The researcher concludes that death penalty has become more objectionable today that it was before. This article is interesting on how it argues against death penalty by practically analysing cases that have involved this punishment. This has made this work conclusion more practical and based on theoretical assumptions. Comparing death penalty from the past and its current status also makes the work useful in concluding why the death penalty should be abolished. Making references basing on real cases in the United States makes this work reliable. In my essay, I find the article helpful in providing different reasons on the need to abolish death penalty, and example of cases to be referred to. However, this article seems to draw its conclusion by only focussing on death penalty cases. There was a need to consider other factors like the conditions of those offended by the one to be persecuted.

Gavrila, A.N. (2011). Should the Death Penalty be Abolished? Arguments for and against the Centuries-Old Punishment. Journal for Communication and Culture, 1(2), 82 – 98. Retrieved from http://jcc.icc.org.ro/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/JCC-vol- 1-no-2-2011-pages-82-98.pdf

The author examines several arguments that support the need for capital punishment. He conducts an analysis to determine whether the strong to defend their claim. Conversely, reasons against death penalty are analysed. The researcher concludes that he cannot agree with death penalty enforcement because it becomes ineffective due to judicial errors despite cases in which the authority have provided tremendous efforts. To him, he can permit death penalty in a regard in which he has received demonstration that human judgement in such cases is reliable. However, other reasons in support of capital punishment seem irrelevant because they are complicated by error in human judgement. Also, it is apparent that one siding with abolition of this punishment is not supporting the guilty, but he or she recognises the impact of crime and advocates for a severe punishment and therefore no one should become a criminal in offering justice. The article will be helpful in my essay to help in countering the reasons for death penalty. This paper is reliable because the author has utilised statistics in drawing conclusion. Also, he examines both the reasons for and against capital punishment. Drawing from other sources also makes the information provided reliable. The source is also not old and it makes reference to reliable organisations like Amnesty. However, the article does not give the one offended perspective.