Should we bring back the death penalty?

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Does that mean you're against life sentences? Once you've killed a copper, you might as well kill 15 other people because you know you're going to jail for the rest of your life anyway.

Life sentences don't literally mean you're in jail for the rest of your life. Every life sentence has a minimum term and statistically in England, the average prisoner receiving a life sentence will be up for parole after 15 years, whereas those that have committed extremely heinous crimes or a large number of serious crimes can get a much, much longer minimum term.

Reply 41

Notoriety

Original post by It's****ingWOODY

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/44/schedule/21

You get a whole-life order if you kill a copper.

Reply 42

It's****ingWOODY

Original post by Notoriety

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/44/schedule/21

You get a whole-life order if you kill a copper.

Hmm, wasn't aware it was an automatic whole lifer now, I remember there was a big discussion in the media about whether it should or shouldn't be a few years ago.
In such a case, yeah, I do think it's a bad idea for the reasons I stated - the minimum term should always be determined based on the circumstances surrounding the crime. The possibility for a "ah well, f*** it, I'm gonna be in jail for the rest of my life now anyway, might as well carry on" mentality is always on the cards, we see it in serial killers.

Reply 43

Notoriety

Original post by It's****ingWOODY

Capital murder in the US tends to be on similar lines; aggravated murder, as it were. E.g. cop killing, extreme brutality in the killing etc; not usually for an ordinary murder. The death penalty tends to be directed at the "serious" killers who are going to kill again, just like the ones who would kill again under the whole life order situation.

I don't agree with the death penalty in the UK, tbh. I think the Govt should be flowery and altruistic, rather than the source of violence directed towards its own (albeit wayward) citizens.

Reply 44

Binay

Death Penalty was not abolished in UK due to the growing sympathy to the convicted murderers but to avoid state killing of any innocent. There were some very publicised cases of wrongful conviction which only became apparent after their death penalty was carried out.

While death penalty may seem very compelling solution for the things happening around us and you might be forgiven for thinking so, while running a state, sometime a 'obviously logical' reaction might not be the best thing.Like the times when your reaction is influenced by your emotion and you regret it later.Thats why state leaders have advisers who can sensibly advice them in the related fields.
Our law has evolved from ridiculous(for today's standard) law to today's legal system( what present people call sensible). Our current laws are due to the fact we have made mistakes in the past and we know in present what is undesireable. so we therefore outlaw them. it does not mean our current system is gonna last forever. changing time changes people and with change in people, law also changes.

Reply 45

Andyredblue

No, the death penalty is communist.

Reply 46

Binay

Original post by Andyredblue

No, the death penalty is communist.

I am not communist but you might be surprised what the real communism was. The real communism was equality for all, that's why so many people were so much supporting it. But in an economy It's not always so simple.
The reason it gets such a bad name is not due to its ideas but the consequences it has created. That is too much saturation of power. Power is corruptive. And the same people who had taken an oath to serve the people with good intention, when in power become corrupt.
US still has death penalty in lots of its states. Would you consider US as a Communist regime?

Reply 47

Andyredblue

Original post by Binay

The US is not a totally communist regime but it’s government and laws are far more restrictive than the UK. US government has more part in Americans lives than British government does in British lives. USA had slavery, prohibition, war on drugs, ridiculous drinking age, complex tax system, brutal police, radical patriotism/nationalism etc... so yes, the US has more communist aspects than the UK, yet I still think that the UK needs to capitalise up even more. In the US there is even a law on how many times you can cross a zebra crossing. The only thing you can do in America that you can’t in the UK is be a big time racist.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 48

Binay

Original post by Andyredblue

I am not American so I can not tell you what it's really like to live in US. But bear in mind a lot our idea about US is based on news coverage it gets. And news are designed to be very stimulative otherwise no one would watch it. It may not be false but it is also not entirely true. for example 5 stabbings in a nation of 50 million does not say much about the country that we can label it a stabbing capital. Being said that I do think Laws are much Liberal in UK than in US. I have no reason to defend US laws but we have to understand that not everything in life is black and white. like prohibition, who would have thought banning such a potent substance would bring such a chaos. instead of cutting down crime related to alcohol it just exacerbated it.
Again going to my earlier point. Just linking death penalty to communism is not right. Even Uk had it not that long ago. And even more heinous punishments. Sharia law (islamic law) allows even worse treatment of people but would you call death penalty Islamic? what my point was, no death penalty is associated with any kind of political views but our understandings of Human rights and the basic level of integrity we as a society are willing to bestow upon ourselves.