Editor's Blog0 min ago
A quick factual question about capital punishment
3 Answers
Without wanting to kick off a debate on whether we should or shouldn't...
Has any country that has abolished the death penalty ever brought it back? And how was it received?
Has any country that has abolished the death penalty ever brought it back? And how was it received?
Answers
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Amnesty states
Moves to reintroduce the death penalty
Once abolished, the death penalty is seldom reintroduced. Since 1985, over 50 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or, having previously abolished it for ordinary crimes, have gone on to abolish it for all crimes. During the same period only four abolitionist countries reintroduced the death penalty. Two of them - Nepal and Philippines- have since abolished the death penalty again. There have been no executions in the other two (Gambia, Papua New Guinea).
So it would appear that even when re introduced either it again gets abolished or not used. Glad you asked this because I feel this could be needed in future debates?
Moves to reintroduce the death penalty
Once abolished, the death penalty is seldom reintroduced. Since 1985, over 50 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or, having previously abolished it for ordinary crimes, have gone on to abolish it for all crimes. During the same period only four abolitionist countries reintroduced the death penalty. Two of them - Nepal and Philippines- have since abolished the death penalty again. There have been no executions in the other two (Gambia, Papua New Guinea).
So it would appear that even when re introduced either it again gets abolished or not used. Glad you asked this because I feel this could be needed in future debates?
the USA stopped doing it for several years, then resumed it in 1976. Texans seem especially keen on it. But some states have put it on hold again, concerned by evidence that innocent people have been put to death or by executions that went wrong. Most Americans still favour it, though.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishmen t_in_the_United_States
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishmen t_in_the_United_States
Switzerland first abolished it in 1874 then later permitted it again and it was practiced by a few states (9 executions until 1940). Definite abolishment by popular vote in 1938, except for wartime military crimes, for which it was eliminated in 1992.....
Because of an increase in crime, which was likely due to the economic depression at the time, capital punishment was, however, re-introduced in 1879.
On December 21, 1937, in the course of the standardisation of Swiss criminal law, Swiss parliament passed a new criminal code, which abolished capital punishment, after fervid debates. It was ratified by referendum on July 3, 1938, and came into power on January 1, 1942. The last person to be sentenced to death by a civil court and executed was Hans Vollenweider, convicted of three murders and then executed on October 18, 1940 in Sarnen, Obwalden.
Swiss military law, however, still provided for the death penalty for treason. During World War II, 30 Swiss soldiers were sentenced to death and 17 of these were executed before the end of the war. This law was abolished by the Federal Assembly on March 20, 1992 after a parliamentary initiative by Massimo Pini of the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland.
Because of an increase in crime, which was likely due to the economic depression at the time, capital punishment was, however, re-introduced in 1879.
On December 21, 1937, in the course of the standardisation of Swiss criminal law, Swiss parliament passed a new criminal code, which abolished capital punishment, after fervid debates. It was ratified by referendum on July 3, 1938, and came into power on January 1, 1942. The last person to be sentenced to death by a civil court and executed was Hans Vollenweider, convicted of three murders and then executed on October 18, 1940 in Sarnen, Obwalden.
Swiss military law, however, still provided for the death penalty for treason. During World War II, 30 Swiss soldiers were sentenced to death and 17 of these were executed before the end of the war. This law was abolished by the Federal Assembly on March 20, 1992 after a parliamentary initiative by Massimo Pini of the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland.
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