Capital Punishment in Canada
The last capital punishment in Canada was on December 11, 1962, and after fourteen years from that date on 1976, death penalty was removed from Canadian criminal law and replaced with a mandatory life sentence. During this time some people believe that death penalty should be reinstated in Canada to decrease the rate of crime. But below are some reasons that indicate why capital punishment abolished in Canada. People who are against the abolishment of capital punishment believe those criminal who murder another person are dangerous for society and should be blamed by death. But in order to make a decision of others life we should not jump in conclusion so fast. Research shows human personality changes by time. Therefore personality of criminals who killed another person may change after time and became regretful for what they done in past. Tookie Williams was a gang leader and during his prison life wrote many books against gangs. Especially he avoided youths from participating in any crime or gangs. Williams nominated for Nobel Prize Because of his books. Unfortunately death penalty did not make an exception and he executed on December 2005. Tookie Williams show that after spending a time in jail he has redeemed himself and capital punishment is not the only way to treat the society. Murdering is violence in any circumstance. If we kill someone who killed another man then who will kill us? All religions agreed that God gives life to human and only God has the power to take it away. In many cases victim’s relatives want to take revenge but in a modern and civilized world there is no place to hostility. “Why kill people who kill people to show that killing people is wrong?” (The john Howard society of Ontario, March 2001, page 1). Those persons who agreed with death penalty think that criminals will be faired to do crime because of capital punishment. However according to Canadian criminal statics report “The homicide rate has been on a general decline since
Cited: “Death penalty: Death sentences and executions in 2007.” Amnesty International <http://www.amnesty.org/en/death-penalty/death-sentences-and-executions-in-2007> More, Suzan. History of Capital Punishment in Canada. About.com <http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/crime/a/cappuntimeline.htm> The Death Penalty: any nation’s shame. The John Howard Society of Ontario. March 2001 <www.johnhoward.on.ca>