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Home / UPSC Editorials / Death Penalty & Arguments Related to Capital Punishment

Death Penalty & Arguments Related to Capital Punishment | UPSC Editorials

Last Updated on Sep 19, 2024
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Death Penalty or Capital punishment is a type of execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction ang going through a fair trial by a court of law for any criminal offense. Capital punishment is not the same as extrajudicial killing and should be distinguished from extrajudicial executions carried out without following either procedure established by law or due process of law. The term death penalty is sometimes used interchangeably with capital punishment, though imposition of the penalty is not always followed by execution, because of the possibility of commutation to life imprisonment.

Analysis Based On

Article published in The Hindu on Death Penalty and issues associated with it

Topics for Prelims

Right to Life, Article 21, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Preamble, Human Rights, Constitutional Bodies, President

Topics for Mains

Principle of Natural Justice, Due Process of Law, Procedure Established by Law, Judiciary, Constitution of India

About Death Penalty

A death penalty is ordered by the state owing to the commission of a Crime. Crimes for which the state orders death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offenses. The main reason is its deterrence capability. It acts as a deterrence among the criminals. This is the reason why many people and organisation in India demands death penalty for heinous crimes like rape, gang rape etc

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Status of Death Penalty Across World

Death Penalty has been removed from practice in many countries, especially in Europe and advanced economies, but there are more than 36 countries worldwide which still practice it. Around 103 countries have completely abolished it for all kinds of crimes. Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the European Union prohibits the use of capital punishment altogether. In the Council of Europe there are 47 member states and they prohibit the use of the death penalty.

Not only countries, but the United Nation Organisation (UNO) also favors the abolition of the death penalty. According to the resolution passed by the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2014, it passed non-binding resolutions advocating to ultimately abolish the Death Penalty. Although many nations brought changes in their domestic legislations and abolished the death penalty, countries like People's Republic of China, India, the United States (US) and Indonesia still continue to apply the death penalty. 

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Death Penalty in India

According to the data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India,and ‘Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics 2022’ Report, the Supreme Court (SC) awarded the death penalty to only seven people from 2007 to 2022. However, all death sentences were either set aside or commuted to life in 2023, as the supreme court has set a benchmark that death penalty can be given only in crimes which comes into the category of “rarest of rare cases”.

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Trial Courts & Supreme Court’s View on Capital Punishment 

According to the data available with the Ministry of Law and Justice (MoL&J), trial courts in different states and union territories have awarded 165 death sentences in 2022 which is the highest ever in over two decades.

There are some statutory provisions in different Indian statutes such as The Air Force Act, of 1950, The Army Act, of 1950, and The Navy Act, 1957 which provide punishment for different sets of offenses, including hanging or death by shooting.

Supreme Court Judgement on Death Penalty in India

There are numerous landmark verdicts by the supreme court in relation to the death penalty in India. The Supreme Court in many of these cases have asked the lower courts including High courts to maintain restraint and do not succumb to the public p[ressure and award death penalty only in the rarest of the rare cases in which the crime committed comes under the category of heinous crime. These are the following landmark cases by Supreme Court:

  • Jagmohan Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh, 1972: This is a landmark case in the judicial history of India as in this particular case, after going through intense judicial scrutiny it upheld the death penalty in India. 
  • Rajendra Prasad vs State of Uttar Pradesh, 1979: The Supreme Court in this case held that the death penalty directly affects the life of the people guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Here, the supreme court put two conditions for awarding the death penalty to any convict. According to the Supreme Court, two things are required, viz. Recording of special reasons for imposing the death penalty in a case and the death penalty in India must be imposed only in extraordinary circumstances.
  • Bachan Singh vs State of Punjab, 1980: Though the Supreme Court in this case upheld the death penalty, but limited it to be used in the ‘rarest of rare cases’.
  • Deena Dayal vs Union of India And Others, 1983: Here, Supreme COurt upheld the Death Penalty by ruling that hanging is permissible under Indian statutes but it should not create mental harassment for the convicts and it should be painless and “causes no greater pain than any other known method”.

Arguments in Favour of Death Penalty in India

Many people, organizations be it NGOs or Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have advocated for not abolishing the death penalty as it acts as a deterrence in Indian society which is not fully matured and thus death penalty is a necessity. These are the following arguments in favor of death penalty in India:

  • Retribution: Death Penalty or Capital punishment or death sentence is seen as just retribution for murderers.
  • Utilitarianism: It is a concept that conveys that the consequential welfare of the society outweighs the deprivation of life of the criminal. 
  • Deterrence: In any kind of society, the death sentence serves as a deterrence which leads to reform in society and potential offenders.
  • Public Safety: There is a need to ensure public safety as the public has to be safeguarded against the possibility of release of a person convicted of murder.

Arguments Against Death Penalty in India

These are the following arguments against death penalty in India:

  • Against Fundamental Rights: It violates the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution itself under Article 21 of Indian Constitution.
  • Alternate Options: Under the Indian Constitution, state-sanctioned executions should not create unnecessary mental harassment and it must be as comfortable and painless as possible.
  • Low Deterrence: Many organizations including NGOs, Civil society Organizations (CSOs), Social scientists have appealed for abolishing the death penalty altogether as they are of the opinion that death penalties have either no or low deterrent effect. They also cite examples of nations and the UN who are in favor of its abolition.
  • Scope for Reform: The main purpose of trial is to reform a person and thus life imprisonment offers a chance for rehabilitation, whereas death penalty doesn’t.

Way Forward 

According to the newly introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 , the term ‘life imprisonment’ has been defined as a term for the remainder of one’s natural life. Apart from this it should be the default alternative to capital punishment or death sentences. Removing the Death Penalty from the legal statute book and bringing a logical, rational and universal remission policy will be a substantive reform in the legal system.

Also, it is morally justified that a convict has the right to seek help from the society. According to the Law Commission of India, Death penalty should be abolished, except in certain cases where the accused is convicted in serious cases like terror.

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Who are entitled to receive free legal aid? Assess the role of the National Legal Services Authority(NALSA) in rendering free legal aid in India

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Q1.Critically analyze whether Death penalty is justified in 21st century.

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