Death penalty

October 24, 2013 03:01 am | Updated 03:01 am IST

The death penalty, though archaic, is relevant today (“A blot on progressive societies,” Oct. 23). It is reserved for heinous and diabolical crimes. Advocating the human rights and dignity of the perpetrators of heinous crimes somehow implies that their rights are more important than the rights of the victim and the collective conscience of society. The death penalty is the ultimate and the most potent deterrent available to any criminal justice system. The retention of this deterrence is necessary, under astute safeguards.

Debashish Lahiri,

New Delhi

I started my legal career by moving bail in a murder case. When my office clerk was shot dead, I was appointed the special prosecutor in the case. Much later, after I left to join films, my one-time junior was killed on the road leading to Paramakudi courts.

I practised law in Mudukulatur where five people were shot dead by police in 1957. I had appeared for three of them in murder cases in committal proceedings. I was just 27 but I felt that at least three of the five who were gunned down were a threat to life and safety. It takes time to learn ethical and moral realities meant for the betterment of society.

We avoid committing crimes due to the fear of punishment. At least five per cent of our population does not commit murder due to the fear of death. It would be wise to leave the law as it is to keep the number of murders under control.

S. Charuhasan,

Chennai

When we argue for the abolition of capital punishment in the name of progressiveness, we should understand that in the same progressive society, women are gang raped and terror attacks killing innocent people take place. Society has a right to punish a person who disturbs the social order brutally. An eye for an eye may turn the whole world blind but in the name of dignity of life, we should not become blind to the plight of victims who die for no fault of theirs.

Deba Prasad Bhanja,

Delhi

Monica Vincent has analysed the death penalty in great depth. The article is good to read from the point of view of offenders sentenced to death. But the article has not seen matters from the point of view of victims and their relatives.

The death penalty infuses fear and brings down the crime rate. The argument that the right to life and dignity are the most important of all human rights holds good for victims too.

Ramabhadran Narayanan,

Coimbatore

The elimination of capital punishment from the statute books of European countries cannot be a sound reason for abolishing it in Asian countries. At a time when there is a growing trend in hired killings, honour killings, crime against women and sexual abuse of children, we should retain the death penalty.

It is worth remembering the innocent victims of crime while propagating the human rights of condemned offenders.

S. Pon Senthil Kumaran,

Madurai

The article was an excellent overview of the state of death penalty worldwide. It ends with a brief quote by Justice Arthur Chaskalson.

The judgment from which it is taken is the State v. Makwanyane and Another (June 1995) case, one of the greatest on death penalty jurisprudence worldwide. Another great judge whose pronouncements in that case are worth reading is the late Justice Ismael Mahomed.

N. Jayaram,

Bangalore

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.