Hello 👋, I just wanted to ask if anyone could read and critique my lnat practice essay. The question is:
Should the death penalty be reintroduced into the UK?
The death penalty is a form of capital punishment where a perpetrator is sentenced to death depending on the degree of the crime. Many countries used to use this type of punishment hundreds of years ago, but only a few use it today. This essay will argue against the use of the death penalty again by talking about how it is morally wrong, and how it won’t be an effective deterrence factor.
Some people may advocate for the return of the death penalty because it can deter and protect people. The punishment of death may put people in fear of offending, or reoffending if they already are a criminal. Furthermore, it can protect victims of dangerous criminals. Take for instance the murderer Beverley Allitt, a child nurse who injured nine children and killed four. Some of the survivors, despite being many miles away from her, still claim to see images and fear for their lives. If the death penalty had been imposed on her, would these victims still fear? This illustrates why some people may argue for the death penalty to be brought back, as it can help victims and their families adjust more easily knowing that their life won’t be endangered.
People may further warrant the return of the death penalty as it is a way criminals can make up for certain crimes. For example, one person can compensate for the murder they committed by having their life being taken. This could be seen as the law being fair. However, this is morally wrong to do. We’ve all heard the saying “two wrongs don’t make a right”, and in this case it is true. If we agreed to kill a criminal, aren’t we just as bad as they are? This would also go against many people’s beliefs especially if they come from a religious background which is against the taking of a life. For example, Jews believe that life is sacred and that only God can take it. This therefore shows that the death penalty should not be reintroduced into the UK as it goes against morality.
In addition, how do we know that reintroducing the death penalty will decrease crime rates? We already have some pretty heavy sentences such as life imprisonment, yet people still commit the same heinous crimes. Also, just because one person is sentenced, doesn’t mean they don’t have connections who will seek out those who testify against them in court. Helena Kennedy demonstrated this in her book “Eve was shamed” when talking about why some women who are exploited, trafficked and raped don’t bring the issue to court. She said that some of her clients fear others in affiliation with the perpetrator who may avenge them. This would only result in more crimes being committed. This therefore shows that the death penalty is not good for deterrence, as it probably won’t lower crime rates.
To conclude, the death penalty should not make a return to the UK, because as this essay has demonstrated, it won’t be helpful in lowering crime rates and is morally wrong to do. Even if it were to act as a deterrent it probably won’t be applicable to all crimes, so we can’t be sure of its effectiveness, nor will it protect victims. This essay has shown that the death penalty can only worsen people’s lives and our morality as a nation