The Abolition of Capital Punishment in Australia

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Since the last execution in Australia in 1967 of Ronald Ryan and the abolition of capital punishment in Australia in 1973 imprisonment has been the only option as a sanction for murder. A survey conducted in 2009 demonstrated that a clear majority of Australians (64%) believed that imprisonment should be the punishment for murder as opposed to 23% stating the death penalty should be used and 13% did not wish to comment. The death penalty is not an effective punishment for all cases and there has not been any solid evidence stating that it is a more effective deterrent than imprisonment. Furthermore capital punishment possesses the risk of executing the innocent, which has happened or almost happened numerous times in the past such as Colin Ross. The death penalty is also a breach of the Universal Human Rights. Additionally although there is belief that detaining criminals actually costs taxpayers more due to court processes, the method of execution and many other factors. While imprisonment should be the highest sanction for crime, in some cases this is not effective, such as the case of Australian serial killer Peter Dupas. As a result, imprisonment is the only appropriate option for murder in majority of instances, however in some cases it is evident that capital punishment is necessary for the safety of society. Capital punishment is not an effective punishment or deterrent for murder or any crime for various reasons. To many prisoners, being detained in a prison is much more of a punishment than death as is it a constant, conscious deprivation of liberty and rights. This idea is represented though US Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh who claimed after dropping his appeals against his death sentence that he would rather die than... ... middle of paper ... ...enalty. Works Cited http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/finding-4411-201302260051 http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/notorious/mcveigh/dawning_1.html Bowers, W, Pierce, G., and McDevitt, J.(1984), Legal Homicide: Death as Punishment in America, 1964-1982, 333 Panel on Research on Deterrent and Incapacitate Effects (1978), Deterrence and Incapacitation: Estimating the Effects of Criminal Sanctions on Crime Rates National Academy of Science, Washington DC http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/documents/FactSheet.pdf http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ross-colin-campbell-eadie-13175 http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a5 B Nakell. (1978). Cost Of The Death Penalty. Criminal Law Bulletin, P. 69-80. http://www2b.abc.net.au/news/forum/newsonline6/archives/archive10/newposts/11/topic11966.shtm http://murderpedia.org/male.D/d/dupas-peter.htm

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