CapitalPunishmentv/sHumanRights

Source:http://www.legalserviceindia.com
Author:goutham
Publishedon:May09,2015

CapitalPunishmentV.
HumanRights
Doesthesocietyneedcapitalpunishmenttopunishitsconvicts
orarewetakingawaythelivesofconvictswhohaveeveryright
toliveonthisearth.

goutham'sProfileand
details

Iamafinalyear
lawstudentV
B.A.LLBBangalore
InstituteofLegal
Studies

IthinklifeissacredwhetheritisabortionordeathpenaltyTimKaine
Deathpenaltyorcapitalpunishmentisalegalprocesswhereinapersonisputtodeathbya
stateinaccordancetoacrimecommitted.ThewordcapitalcomesfromtheLatinword
capitalis(ofthehead).Crimesthatresultindeathpenaltyareknownascapitaloffencesor
capitalcrimes.
Capitalpunishmenthasbeenusedovertheyearsbyalmosteverysocietyinordertopunishthe
guiltyforsomeparticularcrimessuchaspunishmentforpremeditatedmurder,espionage,
treason,oraspartofmilitaryjustice.Insomecountriessexualcrimessuchasrape,adultery
andsodomycarrythedeathpenalty,sodoesreligiouscrimessuchasapostasy(theformal
renunciationoftheStatereligion).Inmanyretentionistcountries(countriesthatusedeath
penalty)drugtraffickingisalsoacapitaloffense.InChina,humantraffickingandseriouscases
ofcorruptionarealsopunishedbythedeathpenalty.
Only58nations(includingIndia)areactivelypracticingcapitalpunishment,whereas95
countrieshaveabolishedtheuseofcapitalpunishment.
Backin1947Indiaretainedthe1861penalcodewhichprovidesdeathpenaltyformurder.It
hasbeenestimatedthat1422executionshavetakenplacein16Indianstatesbetween1953and
1963anditishardtomeasuretherateofdeathsentenceexecutionbetween1980and1990.It
isestimatedthat2to3personswerehungtodeatheveryyear.
IntheJudgmentofBachanSinghv/sStateofPunjab(1980)2SCJ475,1980,theSupreme
Courtruledthatdeathpenaltyshouldonlybeusedintherarestofrarecases,butdoesnot
giveadefinitionastowhatrarestofraremeans.
Therehasbeenahugedebatearoundtheworldovertheuseofdeathpenaltywhetheritshould
existornot.Everymanhasarighttolive.Article21oftheIndianconstitutionprovidestoits
citizensprotectionoflifeandpersonallibertynopersonshallbedeprivedofhislifeor
personallibertyexceptaccordingtoprocedureestablishedbylaw.Thisexceptiontolifehas
createdadilemmaacrosstheworld.
Isthejudiciaryvaluinginnocentliveswhichhaveperishedtothatofapersoncommittinga
heinouscrimesuchasmurder?Docriminalswhocommitaheinouscrimesuchasmurderlose
therighttoliveonthisearth?Areinnocentconvictsbeingexecuted?Doesdeathpenaltytake
awaytherightforfutureappealthatwouldhavebeenfiledbytheconvict?Whatistheremedy

towrongexecutions?Doesdeathpenaltytoaconvictprovideproperremedytothefamilythat
haslostitsmemberandgonethroughthehorrorandpainoflosingitslovedone?Theseare
justthefewquestionsthatarebeingdebatedacrosstheworldineverysocietyoverthelegality
orlegitimacyofdeathpenaltywhetheritmustexistorbeeradicated.
CrimerateshavenotdecreasedinspiteofdeathpenaltyorcapitalpunishmentinIndiaorany
othercountrywithsuchpractices.ThedeathrateinIndiaper1000peoplewasreportedat
8.04%in2010wherehalfofitwerecriminalhomicide,theinclusionofdeathpenaltyhasnt
providedanyMidastouchtobringdownthedeathrates.
Manywritersandthinkersaretoaconclusionthatdeathpenaltyispartialtoindividuals
becauseAjmalKasabaterroristfromPakistanwhowasoneoftheaccusedintheMumbai
attack,2008(alsoknownas26/11),whowascapturedalivebythepoliceandafterduelegal
processandproductionofproperevidencehewasfoundguiltyfortheterroristattackandwas
chargedforpossessionofdangerousweapons,wassentencedtodeathbytheSupremeCourtof
Indiaon29thAugust2012buthasnotyetbeenexecuted.Insteadhehadfiledamercypetition
tothePresidentofIndiabutwassubstantivelyhangedaftermuchdelayonNovember21,2012,
thisdelayhaskepttheconvictsindeathrowforseveralyears.Thereare26mercypetitions
pendingbeforethePresidentofIndiawheresomearedatedbackto1992.Thecommonpeople
areexecutedfaster.Thisbringsaboutasenseofpartialityandformsaloopholeinourown
judicialsystem.Thedeathpenaltyisimplementedorexecutedrarely.Outof300murderers
only1getsadeathpenalty.Studieshaveshownthatdeathpenaltyhasnotbeenadeterrent
becauseaccordingstaticsdeathpenaltyandmurderrateshaveapositivecorelationwhich
meanswheredeathpenaltyliesmurderratesarehigh.Accordingtoasurveyreportmany
policechiefsandotherlawenforcementofficersdeathpenaltyisnotadeterrenttopeoplewho
commitviolentcrimes.
Peoplewhocommitmurdersdonotthinkoftheconsequencesorthepunishmentthatthey
mightgothrough.Thereasonbehindthisisthattheactdoneismostlyspontaneousoran
emotionaloutburstandisatthespurofthemoment,itisveryunlikelythattheyarementally
stable.
Accordingtorecentstudies,lifeimprisonmentcosts10timeslesserthanwhenapersonis
executedafteralongprocessorthebureaucraticprocessthathastobeundergoneforaperson
tobeexecuted.
Thereisaspeculationthatdeathpenaltyistheworstwayofviolatinghumanrights,because
righttoliveisthemostimportantright.Afewbelievethatjudicialhangingisoneoftheforms
oflegalmurder..Thementaltorturethatapersongoesthroughwhilebeingexecutedisfar
beyondimagination.Itisinhumanandamonsterwithinthesocietysomebelieve.
Ithinkcapitalpunishmentworksgreat.EverykilleryoukillneverkillsagainBillMayer
Butthentherewouldbetotalanarchyifdeathpenaltywouldbeabolishedbecauseeveryone
fearsdeath,whowouldwanttoendtheirlife?Sodeathpenaltymayactasadeterrentfor
futurecrimesthataregoingtobecommitted.Abolitionistsmaycontendthatdeathpenalty
shouldbeabolishedbecausehumanlifeispreciousandcannotbevaluedforanything,butthen
itisthearticleoffaithittreatsthehumannotlikeanimal,insteadofdeathpenaltyhonor
humanswithdignity.Apersonwhohascommittedacrimeisawareofhismistakesandheis
aloneresponsibleforhisactandconsequences.Executionsaredonekeepinginmindthesafety
ofthepublic.
Executingaconvictmaynotbringbackapersonwhoisalreadydead,butexecutingthe
convict,futureactsmaybeprevented.InordertobandeathpenaltyinIndia,thepublicshould
beconvincedthatjusticecanbeprovidedwithoutexecutingtheconvictbybrutality(thereare

attemptsbeingmadeforpainlessexecutions,butdeathisdeathanditisinevitable).However,
abolishingdeathpenaltymayleadtoriseincrimerates,lawswillbebrokenmoreoftenand
variouskindsofillegalvigilantestylejusticemayrise.
Therecanbenoendtothisdebatebecauseuntilheinouscrimeexits,therewillbecapital
punishments.
Theauthorcanbereachedat:goutham@legalserviceindia.com