The return of Capital Punishment

[naomi24]

If the Conservatives or the Lib Dems promised to bring back capital punishment, would you vote for them at the next election?

[Lonnie]

I'd have to see what their criteria for bringing it back was, but generally, yes.

[rojash]

Since capital punishment was banned. numerous people have been jailed for crimes which would have resulted in their execution, only to be exonerated subsequently (sometimes after years in jail). When a government can promise to resurrect anyone executed unjustly, it might be able to justify executing them, though as all the evidence points to the fact that capital punishment does not act as a deterrent, it would seem rather pointless to compromise your own morality for the dubious satisfaction of seeing someone else killed.

[naomi24]

What if there was no doubt, say in the case of Ian Huntley? You may not think capital punishment is a deterrent, but it would do society a favour in certain instances by eliminating the problem once and for all. I read a report yesterday of a man given five consecutive life sentences, and it went on to say he would be eligible for parole in 15 years. What's the point in that?

[rojash]

It's easy to say "What if there's no doubt"; there was no doubt as far as a jury was concerned when the Guildford Four were convicted, but after they had served 15 years in jail before their conviction was overturned.

As to your second point, you can easily solve the problem by simply not releasing convicted murderers. Killing them for convenience, to eliminate the problem, or to save money on prisons is morally no different from their own crimes.

[naomi24]

If they weren't released that would be fine, but often they are.

[alijangra]

If 'life' (jail sentence) actually meant life, there would be no need to bring back capital punishment.

[submariner]

Most Certainly.
If a Capital Offence is supported by overwhelming DNA evidence or the Perpetraitor was on licence for a like offence but could not be fully proven by DNA and is Convicted of a Second Capital Offence Setence should be carried without any rights to appeal.

[snodhutch]

I would not vote for any party who supported capital punishment

[hubblebubble]

So your view is that murders and rapists should remain being kept alive, well and fed?