The Death Penalty - The Sun strikes again.

[Brian Fantana]

I have seen that the Sun have begun a campaign to have the death penalty brought back. What are peoples' thoughts on this? Personally I believe that this will never happen and shouldn't happen in a forward thinking nation like ours.

 

[Napper]

bring it back , and stoning

 

[Curious Orange]

Good grief, what a silly idea.

 

[Biscuit]

It wont happen.

 

[bright1064]

Why would anyone want to bring the death penalty back?

I'm not saying these vile criminals don't deserve it, far from it!!

Why give them an easy way out? Make them do their life sentence, make sure their lives are hell during their stay in prison. Then when they come out after the life sentence, give them to the bereaved families and let them do what the f*** they want to them!

 

[Easy 10]

In what is supposed to be a "civilised" society, state-sponsored murder is not something I can go along with. Its not even a deterrant. A miscarriage of justice (and they do happen) would result in an irreversible mistake. All it would do is satisfy the knee-jerk bloodlust of the "string em' up" Sun readers brigade.

 

[barney]

keeping them alive is a waste of money and jail space for lesser crimes. rapists murders and paedophiles should be given the death penalty, instead of a few years in a comfortable cell with 3 meals a day

 

[Billy the Fish]

I'm usually against the death penalty, but in a week where Steve Wright has been given life for killing 5 women, Levi Bellfield has been given life for murdering two women with a hammer (although he is suspected of many more unsolved rapes and murders) and Mark Dixie convicted of mudering Sally-Anne Bowman and then having sex with the corpse, I ask the question: What is the point in keeping these people alive?

 

[BigGully]

The critical thing is ensuring that the decision of guilt is correct.

For me the most heinous crimes such as Paedophilia and murder etc. ( I accept there are degrees of both of those crimes ) could carry a death sentence and I would have absolutely no problems with it.

Is it likely to happen, do not think so.

Why would such a modern and forward thinking democracy as ours pander to the majority !!!!

 

[Brian Fantana]

I think that the problem with the death penalty is that you would get a lot more not guilty verdicts. The reason being that if a defendant pleaded not guilty and it was up to the jury to determine guilt, then you would have to be very sure that a person was guilty because of the finality of the sentence. I can imagine some juries not wanting to make such a call and finding someone not guilty.

A prison sentence keeps criminals off the streets and does allow for the overturning of verdicts if new evidence is discovered.

 

[barney]

obviously it could only be used in a case where there is no doubt about the guilt of the accused, instead of "no reasonable doubt"

 

[Brian Fantana]

I have just realised that this debate is pretty irrelevant as under European Law we could not bring it back even if we wanted to.

 

[Biscuit]

Life in prisonment. That can be the only civilised answer. It's 2008 people, not 300bc. Lets not jump to knee jerk reactions resulting in murder. Noone has the right to end someone elses life.

 

[London Calling]

and then there are the appeals, aka USA, which cost millions and keep guilty and innocence on death row.

Also these crims waiting to be state killed are virtually unmanageable, since they have nothing to lose. Which has lead to sections of american jails being run by criminals.

Plus the US again shows that death penalty is not a detterent, since all states with death penalties possess some of the highest levels of crime in the world.

 

[Billy the Fish]

If I was in charge I'd bring it back unofficially. Grease a few palms to make sure the likes of Bellfield, Huntly et al end up on the wrong end of a shiv

 

[BigGully]

Life in prisonment. That can be the only civilised answer. It's 2008 people, not 300bc. Lets not jump to knee jerk reactions resulting in murder. Noone has the right to end someone elses life.

I see your own personal 'civilised line' is life imprisonment, you morally think that itself is civilised.

Well I happen to think it is wholly civilised to kill a man whom has raped/sodomised and killed a little child.

Some may think only having NO incarceration is their civilised view.

Is it not 'civilised' to see what the majority of people might want and view as civilised whilst living within their communities ??

I think thats democracy, but I could be wrong !!!

 

[MattBackHome]

It is the worst idea in the history of the world.

 

[jevs]

Totally against the death penalty but i'm very much in favour of chain gang style prisons where if you commit a serious crime....such as rape or murder, you go to prison for LIFE without parole.

Once you're convicted, you loose ALL human rights. You work 12 hour days, 6 days a week and have NO tele, playstations, snooker or anything.

 

[BigGully]

It is the worst idea in the history of the world.

What to kill and rape a child ?

Or to kill the criminal that inflicted that crime ??

 

[Double Hard Bastard]

Public Executions sponsored by The Sun! I can see a well known sports personality holding the 'Super Gallows' suppliment now! We love it!