Pros & Cons of the Death Penalty

Arguments commonly made for supporting the death penalty are:

-- To serve as example to other would-be criminals, to deter them from committing murder or terrorist acts.

-- To punish the criminal for his/her act.

-- To obtain retribution on behalf of the victims.

Countries that Retain the Death Penalty

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Botswana, Burundi, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States of America , Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Arguments commonly made to abolish the death penalty are:

-- Death constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment," which is prohibited by the 8th amendment to the US Constitution. Also, the various means used by the state to kill a criminal are cruel.

-- The death penalty is used disproportionately against the poor, who cannot afford expensive legal counsel, as well as racial, ethnic and religious minorities.

-- The death penalty is applied arbitrarily and inconsistently.

-- Wrongly convicted, innocent people have received death penalty sentences, and tragically, were killed by the state.

-- A rehabilitated criminal can make a morally valuable contribution to society.

-- Killing human life is morally wrong under all circumstances. Some faith groups, such as the Roman Catholic Church, oppose the death penalty as not being "pro-life."

Countries that Abolished the Death Penalty

Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Yugoslavia

On December 15, 2005, two days after the state of California's execution of Stanley Tookie Williams, the New Jersey Senate voted to temporarily suspend executions in its state. In passing this bill, New Jersey legislators expressed concern about the risk of executing the innocent, and of racial and geographic bias in the administration of the death penalty. The bill will be considered by the state Assembly in January 2006, and is expected to pass and be signed into law by Democratic Governor Richard Codey.

Also in response to Mr. Williams' execution, in January 2006, the California legislature will consider AB 1121, "California Moratorium on Executions Act," a measure to temporarily suspend executions in the state.

The Birmingham News, a consistent supporter of capital punishment in the past, now advocates that the state abandon the use of the death penalty. In an editorial series published November 6 - 11, 2005, the paper stated that there are serious flaws in the application of the death penalty in Alabama. It also said that the death penalty is "inconsistent with the paper's commitment to a culture of life."

The state of Illinois continues to operate under a capital punishment moratorium ordered in 2003 by former Republican Governor George Ryan, when, as a matter of moral conscience, he commuted the sentences of all 167 death row inmates...163 to life imprisonment and 4 pardons, based on their proven innocence or extraordinary rehabilitation.