Why Capital Punishment Should Be Reinstated in Australia
Australian society has ultimately rejected the idea of the practice of capital punishment making a return into the Australian law books. However, events such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the Bali bombings have ensured that the spotlight once again shines on the controversial subject. I am in favour of the practice returning to Australia for heinous crimes such as murder, child molestation, serial rapists, and people who commit acts of animal cruelty. This is because:
• The death penalty deters crime
• The victim or those close to the victim deserve justice and will receive closure
• It’s far more economical to execute prisoners locked away
• DNA testing reduces the risks of mistakes being made
• The death penalty doesn’t violate the right to life
My first point is the deterrent effect that capital punishment would have upon crime. The threat of execution is enough to ensure that criminals think twice about committing any serious crimes, because at the end of the criminal rainbow, there is definitely no pot of gold. Today’s society is more than aware of the consequences of their actions; therefore, the existence of the death sentence can guarantee that criminals consider their actions carefully. While I understand that it’s irrational to assume that a criminal is going to carefully weigh the consequences of their actions against the benefits before committing a criminal act, it’s important to consider that the criminal has clearly already disregarded any other form of punishment that Australia’s justice system may hand down, such as life imprisonment. The criminal is already assuming that if they are caught, they will receive a light sentence from a weak justice system, but we must consider that they are anti-social individuals disrupting the daily lives of law-abiding citizens! Therefore, taking one life is justified because it prevents the destroying of other innocent lives, or even through the deterrence of other potential criminals.
• The death penalty deters crime
• The victim or those close to the victim deserve justice and will receive closure
• It’s far more economical to execute prisoners locked away
• DNA testing reduces the risks of mistakes being made
• The death penalty doesn’t violate the right to life
My first point is the deterrent effect that capital punishment would have upon crime. The threat of execution is enough to ensure that criminals think twice about committing any serious crimes, because at the end of the criminal rainbow, there is definitely no pot of gold. Today’s society is more than aware of the consequences of their actions; therefore, the existence of the death sentence can guarantee that criminals consider their actions carefully. While I understand that it’s irrational to assume that a criminal is going to carefully weigh the consequences of their actions against the benefits before committing a criminal act, it’s important to consider that the criminal has clearly already disregarded any other form of punishment that Australia’s justice system may hand down, such as life imprisonment. The criminal is already assuming that if they are caught, they will receive a light sentence from a weak justice system, but we must consider that they are anti-social individuals disrupting the daily lives of law-abiding citizens! Therefore, taking one life is justified because it prevents the destroying of other innocent lives, or even through the deterrence of other potential criminals.
Bibliography: • Killing for Pleasure, Debbi Marshall • http://www.mako.org.au/ausnews542.html (accessed 28 February 2008) • http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23152328-2,00.html (accessed 28 February 2008)