The Death Penalty: The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms

Capital punishment is crime's most dreaded consequence, death. Hanging was Canada's form of capital punishment up until 1976 when it was abolished. Webster's Dictionary defines capital punishments as: "The penalty of death for the commission of a crime." (Webster's, 1994, 43). The chance of capital punishment being reinstated in Canada has been very slim up until now. Recently the Canadian Alliance Party has put forth efforts to reinstate it, which has put the controversial topic back up for debate. This has divided many Canadians concerning their beliefs. Capital punishment should never be reinstated in Canada as it is a barbaric practice that is unjust. This essay will clearly demonstrate that reinstating capital punishment

Ever since the dawn of man’s search for justice, the death penalty, has been a consequence for particularly heinous crimes. Over the years society has debated whether the death penalty is cruel and unusual punishment. People who oppose of the death penalty view supporters as gun-slinging "rednecks" who live in the backwoods of America. Likewise, supporters view those who oppose the death penalty as uptight "suits" who live in mansions and believes that every person, no matter their crime, deserves to live. Those who oppose the death penalty argue that life in prison is a preferable solution to the death penalty. The supporters of the death penalty argue that Hammurabi’s code, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life, is an

Capital punishment, otherwise known as the death penalty, is a controversial subject which has been argued for decades due to the ethical decisions involved. People believe the death penalty is the right thing to do and that it is the perfect example of ‘justice’ while others believe that it is immoral and overly expensive. The death penalty is not a logical sentence for criminals, it doesn’t give them the right type of justice and it is immoral.

The debate on whether or not the death penalty should be abolished has been ongoing for quite a long period of time. While there are those who believe that the death penalty does not serve its intended purpose, proponents of the same are convinced that the relevance of the same cannot be overstated and hence it should not be abolished. In this text, I examine the arguments for and against the death penalty.

As of 2008, fifty-eight, about one-third of the world’s countries, favor the death penalty, including the United States (Death Penalty Information Center). Currently, thirty-five out of the fifty states, including California, Florida, Arizona, Kentucky, Texas and even Washington, have legalized capital punishment (Death Penalty Information Center, 2010). As of January 1st, 2010, 3291 inmates were awaiting their punishment on death row (Death Penalty Information Center, 2010). California holds most of them, with 697, followed by Florida with 398 (Death Penalty Information Center, 2010). The 2009 FBI Uniform Crime Report showed and stated the South has the highest murder rate of all areas of the country and is therefore directly related to being responsible for over 80% of all executions. Also, consistent with previous reports, the Northeast has the lowest homicide rate of the nation and is only responsible with a small 1% of execution (Death Penalty Information Center, 2010). Now, in regards to Canada, the death penalty is a sentencing that the country does not justify. However, it has not always been this way. It wasn’t until 1976 that the death penalty was removed from the Canadian Criminal Act, where it was then replaced with the mandatory life sentencing without the chance of parole for the first twenty-five years. This was true for all first-degree murders (Munroe, 2010). Following that date, in 1998 capital punishment was removed from the

In 2000, a survey was given to thousands of canadians asking them if capital punishment should be reintroduced or not. The findings of this survey was that 45% of Canadians were in favour of bringing back capital punishment to Canada. In a more recent survey in 2012, 63% of people agreed that capital punishment is sometimes appropriate depending on the circumstance, and 23% of people believed that capital punishment shouldn’t be brought back under any circumstance. Although people have their own opinions, the statistics do not lie. Murder rates in Canada have been slowly dropping since capital punishment has been abolished. The crime rate was at the lowest it has been at in 40 years in 2009. Although these stats do not prove that capital punishment results to a fewer murder rate, it shows that capital punishment is not needed to scare people into committing less crime. Recently in America, a big poll was done to see how many Americans supported capital punishment, the results were 56% supported. It is not a surprise that a majority supports because since capital punishment is going on in so many states now. 63% viewed the death penalty as a morally justified punishment for murder, most 71% said there is some risk of executing innocent people. This is very true because there has been many cases innocent people have been executed even though they haven’t done. A majority

“The total number of death penalties between 1867 and 1971 is 1481. The total number of executions is 710, 697 men and 13 women” (February 10, 1956). So many men and women died, some innocent, some guilty. However no crime is big or bad enough that it should take someone’s life away. Who are they to judge whether or not we should keep our lives, they were not the ones who gave it to us. And in the situation that they do kill an innocent person, they should die as well for murder, like the law states. Finally we do not have to live like this, “The argument against the death penalty eventually won Canadians over and the practice was abolished in 1976. Sadly this was after Wilbert Coffin” (February 10, 1956). After 104 years of executions and wrongfully committed victims who lost their lives for a crime they never committed, finally the eyes of society have been opened and people realized this practice was

There are many different forms of execution in the United States, such as electrocution, lethal injection, lethal gas, hanging, and firing squad. All of which should stay illegal in Canada. It is extremely inhumane to put someone’s life away to demonstrate the power of the law. Even good people make mistakes and deserve a second chance. With the death penalty there is no second chance. Also it doesn’t reduce crime rate, in fact it’s a crime itself, and encourages violence. It is also very expensive to administer the death penalty, it’s about the same amount of money it would cost to keep an inmate in jail for life.

Canada is a free country. Citizens have the right to speak in their native languages, practice their culture, and the right to have a job and make a living. All of these rights are very true and help make our country a better place. However, there are two basic rights that I am against-the right to have an abortion and the right to assisted suicide.

Canada should bring back capital punishment because the crime happening today can be stop; one reason to get rid from this issue is if death penalty starts over in this nation because then every person will think before they misdeed because of the fear from the government law and this can change not only one person’s thinking, but will change a lot criminals thoughts with fear, and if this punishment comes back then it is the best lesson to teach for country because this will make Canada a guarded nation with fewer crimes and having less crime in Canada will keep the nation towards the success for this beautiful land, and Why shouldn't Canada adopt this capital punishment if it makes Canada more secure with crime only to bring fear?

For thirty eight years capital punishment has been illegal in Canada. Many people were against the abolishment of capital punishment in 1976 however, the law was passed as a result of Canada temporarily prohibiting the death penalty across the country in 1967 for five years. After the success of the temporary suspension, Pierre Elliott Trudeau passed a bill that suggested the death penalty should be permanently illegal in Canada. The death penalty has been the root of many debates in Canada about what is more important: law or justice? Socrates and Plato, philosophers who are firm believers in natural law would agree with the death penalty and would oppose the bill that made it become illegal.

Capital punishment is the punishment of a criminal by death, now usually done by lethal injection. It is still used in some states of the USA and many other countries. In Canada, it was used until it was eliminated on July 14, 1976. At the time when it was still used. hangings were used instead of injections. About half of Canadians are in favor of using capital punishment, and one half is against it. On one hand, it would mean a larger deterrent against crimes like murder, less criminals on the street, and less tax money going towards paying for prisoners needs. On the other hand, there are obvious moral problems with killing someone for committing a crime, and there is always a possibility of someone innocent being executed.

The Death Penalty Discussion In today’s world terrible crimes are being committed daily. Many people believe that these criminals deserve one fate; death. Death penalty is the maximum sentence used in punishing people who kill another human being and is a very controversial method of punishment. Capital punishment is a legal infliction of death penalty and since ancient times it has bee used to punish a large variety of offences.

The death penalty has been present, in one way or another, for virtually as long as human civilization has existed. The reasons why are apparent; it is intrinsically logical to human beings that a person who takes the life of another should also be killed. This philosophy is exemplified in the famous Biblical passage, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." However, in light of recent research into ethics, criminology and the justice system, the time has come for us to re-examine our ageless paradigm of revenge.

Philosophy branch which streamlines, protects and guides the concepts of being correct or incorrect is referred as Ethics. People learn this concept from their parents who got it from their parents and it is a chain. However philosophers claim that it is people’s belief which decide ethics along with human intuition. An individual at singular level conscientiously decides what is right and wrong and define a limit of pushing ethical behaviour and morality in being. Moral acceptability of any action can be judged from the points if action is understood by an individual well, the consequences of that action on public, fair treatment of action with all people respectfully and the way action is being performed, the motivation of people for it.