GA Proposal: Death Penalty Ban

[HumanSanity]

Death Penalty Ban

A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.

Category: Civil Rights

Strength: Significant

Proposed by: ImperiumAnglorum

The World Assembly,

Recognising that there is no convincing and statistically robust evidence that the death penalty deters crime,

Hoping to spend money currently dedicated to the substantial administrative and legal costs of pursuing death penalties on enforcement or rehabilitation programmes which actually do reduce crime,

Gravely concerned that even under stringent protocols death penalties are issued against people who are actually innocent of the crimes for which they are to be punished, and

Believing that the death penalty in its application and pursuit targets the mentally ill, socio-economically disadvantaged, and members of racial and cultural minorities, even when administered under facially neutral statutes, hereby enacts the following:

1. The death penalty is abolished except for crimes under a military penal code committed during time of war.

2. All sentences contravening section 1 must be commuted forthwith under procedures not inconsistent with World Assembly law.

3. Member nations collectively may further restrict the use of or abolish the death penalty, section 1 notwithstanding.

Co-authored by Cretox State.

This is the discussion thread. To cast your vote, go HERE

[HumanSanity]

For. Death penalty is senseless murder sanctioned by state power.

[Greater Cesnica]

I think this is a wonderful proposal. The death penalty is barbaric.

[Emnaria]

I believe the death penalty is essential. It shan't be used like the "national razor", but it is necessary for people who have murdered, tortured, and made terrorist attacks against people. It is no different than the war on terrorism, bomb terrorists, execute severe offenders. It is not always possible to keep people alive. I would love to vote to ban it but people like hitler or a mob boss need to be executed if they commit mass crimes. You COULD imprison people for life, but that takes up space and only makes them depressed and suicidal. That won't teach them anything because they're gonna die of old age anyway.

[HumanSanity]

Jan 23, 2021 12:51:48 GMT -5 Emnaria said:

I believe the death penalty is essential. It shan't be used like the "national razor", but it is necessary for people who have murdered, tortured, and made terrorist attacks against people. It is no different than the war on terrorism, bomb terrorists, execute severe offenders. It is not always possible to keep people alive. I would love to vote to ban it but people like hitler or a mob boss need to be executed if they commit mass crimes. You COULD imprison people for life, but that takes up space and only makes them depressed and suicidal. That won't teach them anything because they're gonna die of old age anyway.

I mean, this argument raises several interesting points. The necessity for death penalty abolition isn't the end of prison reform and, eventually, abolition--rather, it is the beginning because it is the most unifying cause, it's the most immediate and irreversible in the short term.

I categorically disagree with your assertion that some criminals need to be executed, or even imprisoned for life. People changing is difficult but not impossible, especially given the right conditions for the possibility of building a better life. The entire concept of prison as we know it (or at least the American concept)--a confined space, where you're deliberately given sub-standard conditions to keep costs as low as possible, while simultaneously driving up security costs to keep you confined and monitored, and the prison itself is effectively designed to deny you happiness--is terrible. But prisons focused on rehabilitation and enabling people to live better lives in the future, thus altering the very concept of prison itself, have worlds of potential.

[Emnaria]

I respect your opinion and you have a good point. But it takes the motivation, know how, and willingness to change, otherwise you never do better and deserve to stay in prison. If it requires a life sentence then there is no point in taking up an extra prison cell. Even if they learn their lesson they won't be released anyway do they'll learn the lesson and not be able to use it. And if you release them then there is a big chance that they will return to their old habits, 3 chances are given in Emnaria, on your third offense, you are given the death sentence. The death sentence gets it over with for people who won't learn and will continue to endanger others.

[Paffnia]

FOR FOR FOR—what I've long waited for to vote on in the GA. Let's get rid of the state's machinery of death.

[Emnaria]

Jan 23, 2021 18:28:50 GMT -5 Paffnia said:

FOR FOR FOR—what I've long waited for to vote on in the GA. Let's get rid of the state's machinery of death.

Lol, I'm the only one who says no lol

[Arborvale]

This is something that I am of two minds.
We are better off rehabilitating the majority of criminals, but there are some who just ought to be gone. ie. Serial killers.
I know those who are serial killers tend to have a history of mental illness, but is it worth trying if they have 30 murders under their belt? I don't believe everyone can be saved. Some folks are just too far gone...

[Refuge Isle]

The death penalty is one of those things where you either agree with it or you don't. There's no mathematics to work out in your mind, no research necessary to get statistics. It depends on where your moral boundaries are, where you are in life, and whether or not the whole thing makes any sense at all. For me, my morals state that it's wrong to kill someone and the ideology behind a government forcing one or more people to die for any reason is extraordinarily concerning.

Any instance of assigning a death penalty carries risk. In the first case, you (as the state) are asserting that you are correct; the question of a prisoner's guild is definitively closed and that's the end of it forever. In reality, we know that's not the case at all. And for all situations where a sentenced prisoner has been executed, there is no recourse to them when it turns out that they were innocent. Death is very permanent.

Aside from that, there is no logical purpose for an execution to even take place. If a crime has been committed, if a law has been broken (presuming in the first place that the law in question was just to begin with), the punishment should fit that crime and have a productive response to it. For the vast majority of situations, this should involve heavy rehabilitation. Lots of crimes are committed because of bad influences or by necessity, but they are committed based on the circumstances surrounding the event. Rehabilitation, reparations, and community service are the only things which have any productive consequence to a bad event.

Capital punishment, however, does not serve any productive capacity. The punishment is retaliatory, intended to feign some kind of closure to people who remain living. But revenge is not a form of justice, and whether the perpetrator of a crime is executed or not has no effect on the crime that occurred. It does not fix anything. It does not allow for any kind of recovery. The only utility is to intimidate people into making good choices, when allowing them the freedom and means to do so on their own would have been far more effective.

I will be voting for this ban.

[Eastern New England]

For. The death penalty is a barbaric practice.

[Free Las Pinas]

The motivation behind keeping the death penalty is lost on me. Death is permanent, and the rationale of the death penalty is fruitless. At the end of the day, what exactly is gained when you kill an accused (and potentially innocent) individual?

That said, I abstained. I’d much prefer a full ban on the death penalty, but I can see how this would do, considering it doesn’t ban further restrictions on the penalty.

[Wires]

The death penalty is not essential the main goal of imprisonment or anything like it should be for rehabilitation and re entry of society multiple countries  that have used this strategy have a very low crime rate and have been able to successfully rehabilitate thousands without any punishment, the death penalty should not be an option as it is unfair to the inmate, the death penalty is also much more expensive than imprisonment or Rehabilitation, without doing any good and finally it is very painful and disgusting for the inmate some say the injections feel like fire is being poured into their veins and that the inmates can not breathe while also feeling the pain from the “fire” in their veins and this is said to be the most humane way for execution.

[Wires]

I agree with you that the death penalty is barbaric and I favor banning it but I’d say abstaining might be something bad as this is a very important problem, there is no middle ground when talking about the death of thousands, I believe the end goal of imprisonment should be rehabilitation, and for a prisoner to re enter society, not be a burden to it.

[Wille-Harlia]

For. The death penalty is state-sanctioned murder

[Clialaad]

As a nation Clialaad is against the death penalty, but we respect the rights of other nations who disagree with us to maintain capital punishment within their own borders.

This WA proposal is, to us at least, massive overreach and is a severe infringement of nations' individual sovereignty.

The Federal Republic of Clialaad hereby votes against this motion, and urges others in 10000 Islands to do the same. We also urge other member nations here to vote to sway our delegate to vote against.

[Solarampa]

This proposal severely restricts nations rights. I am against this proposal by it does suck it will pass