I came across the article that was written by one of the freelancers for BBC some time ago. I still remember it in spite of the fact that the topic of morality and ethics in regards to capital punishment is extremely popular in political, social and other debates. This one stands out of the crowd. And the reason for that is the objectivity of the report. It is, probably, the first and the only individual work that provides almost perfectly objective view on the ethical aspects of this issue.
I was trying to learn from this report and make myself more reasonable and logical when analysing the issues related to both moral and ethical aspects of capital punishment. First of all, it is very interesting to discover the history of capital punishment in different countries. While not that long ago death penalty was one of the most common punishment for criminals and political opposition, today’s reality does not accept it. The world and values of people have changed and it is exceptionally interesting to understand that pre-conditions of practicing capital punishment is as essential as re-viewing and re-analyzing of the consequences and reasons for its abolishment.
Democracy and principles of liberty cannot go along with capital punishment and any radical measures implemented in the society. For that reason the majority of the countries today have become abolitionists. An interesting observation, however, is that the countries with the biggest population still practice capital punishment that in practical terms means that almost one third of the world population can potentially fall under this category.
The influence of modern international communities and its views on the capital punishment cases is gaining more scope and importance. With that in mind it is reasonable to assume that in a short run China, India and other countries executing death penalty will have to re-consider the policy and follow the standards and rules accepted on the international level.