Is Death Penalty A Capital Punishment
Sarath Wijesinghe
Death is painful and unpleasant. Animal or a human being want to live at least one minute more at the death which is common to all. Life is pleasant and enjoyable during the lifetime. Has another being got the right to take this precious life of another? Is he/she not liable for the maximum punishment depending on the gravity. In the animal kingdom the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest prevails. Carnivores kill pray for food, but do not kill unnecessarily. Only the pray is killed to meet hunger. Man kills other for various other reasons. They kill in bulk for no reason. Some legal systems have accepted taking others life legal as punishment and deterrent to prevent crime against the society. Death sentence is imposed for killing another and many other major crimes which has a long history running back to primitive ages.
Death Sentence/Capital punishment in Sri Lank and worldwide
Death sentence was practiced in Sri Lanka during ancient kings who are also guardians of Buddhism based on peace, non-aggression nonviolence and promoting the value of living beings. Other counties worldwide too the capital punishment was prevalent irrespective of the religious practices and beliefs. During Sinhala Kings the kinds and types of torture and death have been cruel and torturous presumably with the Indian influence. Currently the death penalty is governed by the Penal Code imported from the British during colonial period though it is taken away from the British Jurisprudence. Section 296 of the penal code states that ‘whoever committees murder shall be punishable death and Section 54 (AB) of poison opium and dangerous drugs ordinance with mandatory death sentence’ are part of the laws of the land though not implemented by many Presidents who has the last word on implementation. No execution has taken place in Sri Lanka since 23rd June 1976 with successive governments and leaders have attempted to reintroduce capital punishment due to agitations from the public as a result of un precedent crime rate in the country. Agitation activates from time to time with mass murders and slaying of innocence. Again the current topic of the day is Death Penalty due to ‘Saya’ and Vidya girl’s murders followed by killings of innocent and children amidst others. Death sentence is imposed on drugs which is a fast killer of the youth and catalyst for crime which is fast spreading. Has capital punishment reduced the drug menace and the mafia is a matter to be discussed by sociologists.
22 countries were known to have carried out judicial executions in 2014 and 607nhave ben carried out in 2014. To date China has carried out 1000, Iran 289.Saudi Arabia 90.USA 35, and /Sudan 23 executions. The first established death penalty law as far as 1st century BC in the code of king ‘Hammaurabi’ which codified death penalty for 25 different crimes. Read More
