preview

Capital Punishment And Restorative Analysis

Decent Essays

Specific rules and regulations are among essential components ensuring successful functioning of the society. MacKinnon and Fiala suggest that "for a criminal law to be a law and not just a request, sanctions must be attached to it" (p. 365). Various theories exist, which attempt to determine what would be the optimal course of crime prevention and legal repercussion to the violators of the law. The deterrence argument holds a utilitarian perspective on the punishment and concentrates on the proactive ways to enhance safety by increasing public awareness of the consequence of the law-breaking acts, keeping punishment as a viable threat. It is directed to prevent people from violating the law or deter them from doing so. It supposes that once …show more content…

It is propagated by religious groups, who strongly oppose capital punishment and emphasize the importance of fostering personal relations between the perpetrators, victims, and the surrounding community. They believe that an exchange of the sentiments between the affected parties would create a fruitful ground for understanding and forgiveness, relief and rehabilitation. Proponents of endowing mercy over the punishment based on the letter of the law firmly believe that it can lead to a transformation of people, relationships, and society in general. The power of forgiveness as a unique means of obtaining closure to the painful experience can not be undermined, as exemplified by several high-profile cases in the recent history, where the family of the victims who chose to engage in conversation with the murderer seeking for the sense of the resolution to the conflict. However, on the general scale, such approach could be a highly emotionally draining experience for all parties involved, chosen by only a few victims, and although might result in preventing the verdict of execution, it would not completely replace the role of conventional imprisonment according to the degree of the crime

Get Access