The capital punishment is the severest type of punishment because nothing can be more painful, crueler to an individual than being deprived of the very life and existence. Of course there are many ways of putting men to death, some of which are never rackingly and excruciatingly painful while others may be less painful or not painful at all.
For example unskinning, burning alive., limb by limb chopping or being thrown to wild animals are harrowing and most barbaric ways of killing, whereas electrocution in the gold chair as practised in America is almost painless death because it takes not more than a couple seconds to be dead.
However, the end in all these cases is the same, namely physical extermination. Thus death penalty is neplusultra (the ultimate limit) of punishment.
In Ancient Rome the father used to be head of the family and he had the right to pass death sentence even on his own children. But in modern times this right is restricted to the state only.
In ancient times, a criminal was considered not only a law-breaker but also a badman and a sinner. Now-a-days, the out look on criminal is completely changed. Instead of being considered a sinner he is looked upon as a person who has become a victim of adverse and vicious circumstances.
Therefore, capital punishment is given to very few and selected variety of crimes only. Even then, there are many eminent thinkers who strongly disapprove of the capital punishment and strongly plead for its abolition. is a matter of fact there are quite a few countries in the world in which the capital punishment has been abolished and this has not to any rise in the incidence of murders.
The capital punishment is not a murder, even a legalized killing, as suggested by some but is, in fact, a negative reward for unlawful and immoral activity. The law of majority of the nations of the world provides for death penalty for killing. If a person knowingly and in a premediated manner commits murder he is...