Death Row and Capital Punishment essays

Death Row and Capital Punishment essays It has been more than 50 years since the last person in Canada was executed, but a recent public opinion poll advocates that Canadians are becoming more supportive of the return to capital punishment. The ongoing debate even suggested that murderers should be given a rope to hang themselves while still in prison. In 2011, more conservatives were likely to view the death penalty as appropriate sometimes, as the liberals were opposed to its return in general. NDP supporters were equally divided. The United States and Britain also found that the majority of its people supported the return of the death penalty. This is definitely influencing Canada and its opinion on the matter. In this essay I will review different opinions on the notion of capital punishment as it is still to this day a very controversial matter. The history of the death penalty will be examined with the introduction of Ronald Smith, Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin. These three are key factors in the development of new opinions regarding capital punishment and are factors in the constant changes in opinion. On December 11 1962, Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin became the last people to be executed in Canada although capital punishment was still alive for more than a decade after. Ronald Turpin killed an officer after he was pulled over for a broken tail light while fleeing a robbery. Arthur Lucas killed an undercover narcotics agent in Toronto. The two were hanged and buried side by side. Capital punishment was abolished from the Criminal Code in 1976. The issue that quickly followed was that of igniting killers. This then led to many changes in policy. For example, the government recently established a custom of calling for clemency for Canadians sentenced to death overseas. In 2007 however, this custom changed again to only request clemency to those who have been tried in a democratic country that supports the rule of law. This was Stephen Harpers way of dealing...