I'm writing this thread because in about 28 hours time Melbourne man Tuong Van Nguyen will be hanged for drug trafficking, and Rock and Roll singer Gary Glitter allegedly may face a firing squad.

So what's everyones take on Capital punishment?

Additionally, the great Commonwealth of Virginia, USA, will tonight execute the 1,000th person to have died at the hands of the judicial system of the United States and the fifty states since capital punishment was re-instituted there. If that's a mark of civilisation, well, I'm glad to live in the wild and savage European Union, where capital punishment has been removed from all Member States' statute books and has to be removed by would-be Member States as a condition of entry.

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Money won't buy you friends. But it gets you a better class of enemy.
Spike Milligan

this is very bad and worst

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Cricket is best game in the WORLD.

In extreme circumstances - yes, and probably that would only be terrorism. I dont think mass rape or mass murder would be the examples I would use - had ted bundy got the chair straight away, he wouldnt have been able to help the police catch another of his ilk. Keep them and throw away the key, and use them them to study.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

As someone who has been responsible for the taking of another person's life (don't worry guys, self defence and protecting another) I feel too many people are quick or flippant with regards to death of people tarred as criminal, "scum", "evil" etc....

Even after what occured in my experience had to have happened (or else I and another would probably not be alive) the fact that another died due to my actions was quite unsettling for a few weeks. Regardless of how guilty the deceased was.

Largely, capital punishment is used in a political manner and is steeped in vengeance which should never be the basis of anything to do with justice.

I've become very weary of those who support CP and find they generally fall into one of 2 camps.

1) People who support it but actually couldn't carry out the "punishment" themselves. I find them being the ones highly motivated by vengeance and rage not understanding that that rage is closely related to the type of emotions that can lead someone to do something itself punishable by death,

and the worst group,

2) The type who actively take pleasure from CP. Believe me they exist!!

With respect Rich you can't pick and choose who you execute, I can think of loads of cases that would deserve such a fate.

Killers of children, old people, workers of the emergancy services, and as you say terrorism.

BRW the death penalty is still on the statute for "treason", although not used in recent years.

I will not vote on this subject, because even though I believe it right in certain circumstances, I doubt I would give the command.
I suspect I go back further than most on this board, when capital punishment was used, crimes like "Killing" made headlines in the newspapers, now it is commonplace.

There is no doubt at all that hanging in Britain did act as a deterent, as violence is rife these days.

Even so and taking the fact that a return to capital punishment would be very popular, I wonder how many people would tighten the rope, not many I suspect would want blood on THEIR hands.

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Ern

Ern you can pick and choose who you execute, currently a murderer can get 15 years (or less) or never see light of day again. The option of the death penalty is no different. I certainly wouldnt use it as they do in the states.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Rich I was talking in general, and reminding myself of the fact that killing in the UK has gone way out of control since the abolition of the death penalty.

I agree I would not model myself on any country be it the US, Russia or any state, I can't say for sure if I would vote for capital punishment.
For the killing of the vunerable if we don't have capital punishment on the statute, then life should mean life IMHO.

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Ern

I think if steps were made generally to assist the victim or victims family, there would be less support for the hang 'em and flog 'em brigade anyway. The fact that the rights/needs of the victims are so low down list is one of the reasons the death penalty debate exists rahter than use as a deterent/punishment.

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Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!

Yes the alternative to capital punishment is that a whole of life prison sentence must be must be used for all premeditated killing, and support and compensation for the victims.

However both these options cost money, that's why killers will always be eligable for early release.

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Ern