Today, when more and more countries opt to abolish the death penalty, the issue of whether it is necessary or not is especially relevant. People may be imprisoned or sentenced to death in different parts of the world for similar crimes. On the one hand, governments are propelled by the desire to stop criminal activities once and for all and, on the other, by the biblical ban on taking life. This paper argues that the relevance of the death penalty issue stems from the fact that brutal crimes are always in the limelight and raise debates around the adequacy of this measure in response to the most outrageous crimes. Many people claim that the topic of the death penalty is becoming redundant. It is hardly so, as the death penalty remains widespread around the globe. Thus, today, the death penalty is allowed in fifty-three countries, and around twenty thousand people are awaiting execution (Boateng & Dzordzormenyoh, 2021). Most executions occur in China; other states that allow the death penalty are Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, Belarus, and, partially, the USA (Boateng & Dzordzormenyoh, 2021).
Advocates of the death penalty claim that this measure is needed to make the future safer, and it is needed to respond to the most brutal crimes. Moreover, “frequency of murders, sense of insecurity, and perceived institutional legitimacy largely influence support for the death penalty” (Boateng & Dzordzormenyoh, 2021). Opponents claim that a person’s life is sacred, and life imprisonment will keep people from committing crimes as effectively as the death penalty. With each new crime, the debates race on attracting people’s attention to the issue. Since the rate of crimes in countries with and without the death penalty is about the same, there is no universal answer as to whether the death penalty is needed or not. The only thing clear is that this issue is imperative and will remain relevant for years to come.
Reference
Boateng, F. D., & Dzordzormenyoh, M. K. (2021). Capital Punishment in Brazil: Exploring Factors That Predict Public Support for the Death Penalty. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice. Web.