Exposition on Capital Punishment in Australia

Capital punishment was abolished in Australia since 1964, with many good reasons in support of this action. Death penalty was given to those who are found guilty of having committed a serious crime, by the government. It goes against human rights, shows no signs of deterrence of crime statistically, and there is always a great concern of wrongly charging innocents in case which the errors of justice cannot be rectified. It is basically a certainty that capital punishment could be forced upon innocent people. Execution is often referred to as the ultimate punishment, as death cannot be reversed, it is impossible to compensate innocent people who are falsely sentenced. In most cases, only the accused and deceased truly know what took place. There have been many cases in the past, where the justice system has been incorrect, and a person’s innocence has been proven-after being put to death. Relations between capital punishment and crime rates are virtually nonexistent. Many supporter of capital punishment expect executions to be deterrents of murder, however, there has been no demonstration statistically that killing murderers deters others. Therefore as a deterrent to other murderers the death penalty has proved a failure, shown by comparing the criminal statistics of those countries where the punishment is in force with those of countries where it has been abolished. This is due to the fact that murders are nearly always committed in sudden fits of passion or temporary insanity, when no consideration of reason or self-interest can appeal to the doer. Capital punishment is a direct violation of the most basic human right – the right to life. It immorally removes any chances for rehabilitation and improvement, and terminates all possibility of individuals finding salvation, forgiveness or making amends. It is reported that those who have served life sentences have bettered themselves, having made worthwhile contributions to the community. Furthermore, it is possible for prisoners to be kept on death row for many years, during which they are subjected to the cruel torture of mental suffering leading up to their execution. The government should not have the right to take lives, just as much as anyone else. In conclusion, capital punishment is an immoral act, possibly killing innocents whilst giving no returns in lower crime rates and forcing the abandonment of human rights. When it all come down to it, nobody has the right to take the life of another, so why should we?