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Document(s)
New opinion study shows Zimbabwean public ready to accept death penalty abolition
By Death Penalty Project, on 1 January 2018
2018
NGO report
More details See the document
Today, The Death Penalty Project, in partnership with Veritas, launches “12 Years Without an Execution: Is Zimbabwe Ready for Abolition?” a national public opinion study, providing for the first time comprehensive and contextualised data on public attitudes towards the death penalty in Zimbabwe – a country that has not carried out any executions in over 12 years.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Public opinion, Public debate, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Ghana: Briefing on death penalty
By Amnesty International, on 1 January 2000
2000
NGO report
fresMore details See the document
As the Presidential elections approach in Ghana, Amnesty International is renewing its call for steps towards abolishing the death penalty, after seven years without any executions. This document describes the current use of the death penalty, giving details of those currently under sentence of death and describing the death penalty under Ghanaian law and international law
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Country/Regional profiles,
- Available languages GHANA : Rapport sur la peine de mortGHANA : Informe sobre la pena de muerte
Document(s)
Halting the Death Penalty in Divine Hodud Punishments from a Practical Expediency Perspective
By Human Rights & Democracy for Iran, on 1 January 2017
2017
NGO report
More details See the document
Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation and Various Iranian Religious AuthoritiesAbdorrahman Boroumand FoundationNovember 16, 2017Report
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Press article: reporting the death penalty
By Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM), on 1 January 2017
NGO report
More details See the document
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Public debate, Member organizations, Death Penalty,
Document(s)
The Ride: A Shocking Murder and a Bereaved Father’s Journey from Rage to Redemption
By Brian MacQuarrie , on 1 January 2012
2012
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
The Ride tells the true story of one of the most gruesome crimes in recent memory—the 1997 abduction and murder of ten-year-old Massachusetts resident Jeffrey Curley—and how his father, Bob Curley, managed to heal the deep wounds of rage and emerge to become an outspoken critic of the death penalty.In vivid, compelling prose, Boston Globe reporter Brian MacQuarrie recounts the brutal crime that shocked New England and chronicles what transpires after Jeffrey’s death, which is nearly as shocking as the crime itself. At the heart of this deeply touching story is the way Bob Curley summons the almost superhuman courage to reject the death penalty. In tracing his personal journey, The Ride presents an appealing everyman hero forced into the spotlight by unfathomable circumstances, and compelled to confront the consequences of his fury.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Public opinion, Murder Victims' Families, Death Penalty,
Document(s)
Stakeholder Submission to the United Nations Universal Periodic Review on the United States
By The Advocates for Human Rights / Puerto Rican Coalition against the Death Penalty / Greater Caribbean For Life, on 1 January 2014
2014
NGO report
More details See the document
This submission addresses the United States’ compliance with its human rights obligations with regard to its use of the death penalty. This submission concludes that the United States, in continuing to allow a sentence of death, does not guarantee its citizens adequate protection against cruel and unusual punishment, freedom from discrimination, rights to life, liberty and security of person, due process, and equal protection. It also is failing to provide an adequate remedy for those whose rights are violated.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Due Process , Right to life, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Innocence, Discrimination, Foreign Nationals, Lethal Injection, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
The defense has the floor – 2020 World Day
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 8 September 2020
2020
Academic report
frMore details Download [ - 0 Ko ]
On the occasion of the 2020 World Day, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty has compiled testimonies from those for whom access to counsel is a matter of life or death.
- Document type Academic report
- Themes list World Coalition Against the Death Penalty,
- Available languages La parole est à la défense - Journée mondiale 2020
Document(s)
Japanese Moratorium on the Death Penalty
By Mika Obara-Minnitt, on 1 January 2016
2016
Book
Japan
More details See the document
While the number of states that retain capital punishment is declining, Japan has maintained the death penalty in its legislation. In the case of Japan, the government has consistently justified the retention and use of the death penalty on the basis of national law. However, the country as recently experienced a number of de facto moratorium periods on executions. This book addresses how the Ministry of Justice in Japan has justified capital punishment policy during these de facto moratorium periods. The primary goal of this volume is to provide a better understanding of the elite-driven nature of the capital punishment system in Japan. It also addresses the domestic and cultural factors of the capital punishment policy and the rhetoric of the Ministry of Justice in its justification of capital punishment policy.
- Document type Book
- Countries list Japan
- Themes list Moratorium , Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Surviving Execution: A Miscarriage of Justice and the Fight to End the Death Penalty
By Ian Woods / Atlantic Books, on 1 January 2018
2018
Book
United States
More details See the document
Imagine being condemned to death for murder, when even the prosecutors admit that you didn’t actually kill anyone. This is what happened to Richard Glossip.Despite being convicted on the word of the actual self-confessed killer, the state of Oklahoma is still intent on executing him.Ian Woods, a reporter for Sky News in the UK, came across the case, and has tirelessly campaigned ever since to bring the injustices Glossip has faced to the world’s attention.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Innocence, Death Penalty,
Document(s)
Confronting the Death Penalty. How Language Influences Jurors in Capital Cases
By Oxford University Press / Robin Conley, on 1 January 2015
2015
Book
United States
More details See the document
Confronting the Death Penalty: How Language Influences Jurors in Capital Cases probes how jurors make the ultimate decision about whether another human being should live or die. Drawing on ethnographic and qualitative linguistic methods, this book explores the means through which language helps to make death penalty decisions possible – how specific linguistic choices mediate and restrict jurors’, attorneys’, and judges’ actions and experiences while serving and reflecting on capital trials. By focusing on how language can both facilitate and stymie empathic encounters, the book addresses a conflict inherent to death penalty trials: jurors literally face defendants during trial and then must distort, diminish, or negate these face-to-face interactions in order to sentence those same defendants to death. The book reveals that jurors cite legal ideologies of rational, dispassionate decision-making – conveyed in the form of authoritative legal language – when negotiating these moral conflicts. By investigating the interface between experiential and linguistic aspects of legal decision-making, the book breaks new ground in studies of law and language, language and psychology, and the death penalty.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Public opinion, Public debate, Death Penalty,
Document(s)
Religious Organizations and the Death Penalty
By Robert F. Drinan / William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, on 1 January 2000
2000
Article
United States
More details See the document
Over the past several years, many questions have been raised concerning the application and effectiveness of the death penalty. Ironically, the Catholic Church, a long-time supporter of the death penalty, has become one of the most vocal critics of the death penalty. In this Essay, Father Robert F. Drinan documents the Church’s new-found opposition to the death penalty, and discusses the influence the Church will have on the future of the death penalty.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Religion ,
Document(s)
2021 General Assembly of the World coalition against the death penalty – Program
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 15 June 2021
2021
World Coalition
Juveniles
Women
frMore details Download [ pdf - 280 Ko ]
If you are a member organization, join the fantastic program we will have on Friday 18 June!
- Document type World Coalition
- Themes list Juveniles / Women
- Available languages Assemblée générale du 18 juin 2021 - Programme
Document(s)
He Called Me Sister
By Suzanne Craig Robertson, on 24 February 2023
2023
Book
Death Row Conditions
United States
More details See the document
The fascinating, moving story of a friendship with an inmate on death row. It was a clash of race, privilege, and circumstance when Alan Robertson first signed up through a church program to visit Cecil Johnson on Death Row, to offer friendship and compassion. Alan’s wife Suzanne had no intention of being involved, but slowly, through phone calls and letters, she began to empathize and understand him. That Cecil and Suzanne eventually became such close friends—a white middle-class woman and a Black man who grew up devoid of advantage—is a testament to perseverance, forgiveness, and love, but also to the notion that differences don’t have to be barriers. This book recounts a fifteen-year friendship and how trust and compassion were forged despite the difficult circumstances, and how Cecil ended up ministering more to Suzanne’s family than they did to him. The story details how Cecil maintained inexplicable joy and hope despite the tragic events of his life and how Suzanne, Alan, and their two daughters opened their hearts to a man convicted of murder. Cecil Johnson was executed Dec. 2, 2009.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Death Row Conditions
Document(s)
ENHANCING EU ACTION ON THE DEATH PENALTY IN ASIA
By Roger Hood / European Parliament / DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR EXTERNAL POLICIES OF THE UNION, on 1 January 2012
2012
Article
More details See the document
This paper has three objectives. First, it provides an analysis of the state-of-play regarding the death penalty in Asia. Second it reports on EU human rights dialogues. Third, it suggests policies that might help to support initiatives in Asian countries aimed both at restraining the use of the death penalty and securing its complete abolition.
- Document type Article
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition, Country/Regional profiles,
Member(s)
Prisoner’s Future Foundation
on 28 March 2023
Prisoners’ Future Foundation (PFF) is a local non-governmental Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) following government enforcing the NGO Act of 2009 of the laws of Zambia. PFF has in the past handled both advocacy and service delivery, in responding to the needs of currently and formally incarcerated people and citizens who have […]
2023
Zambia
Document(s)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
By United Nations, on 1 January 1966
1966
United Nations report
arrufrzh-hantesMore details See the document
Article 61. Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.2. In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgement rendered by a competent court.3. When deprivation of life constitutes the crime of genocide, it is understood that nothing in this article shall authorize any State Party to the present Covenant to derogate in any way from any obligation assumed under the provisions of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.4. Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases.5. Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below eighteen years of age and shall not be carried out on pregnant women.6. Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the abolition of capital punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant.
- Document type United Nations report
- Themes list International law,
- Available languages العهد الدولي الخاص بالحقوق المدنية والسياسيةМеждународный пакт о гражданских и политических правахPacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques公民权利和政治权利国际盟约Pacto Internacional de Derechos Civiles y Políticos
Document(s)
Death Penalty Trends
By Amnesty International - USA, on 1 January 2013
2013
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
This sheet speaks about the trend towards abolition of the death penalty, aswell as declining public support for it.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
Death Penalty and Innocence
By Amnesty International - USA, on 8 September 2020
2020
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
This webpage talks about innocence and the death penalty: Examples of innocence in three cases in the United States and factors leading to wrongful conviction.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Innocence,
Document(s)
Educational Curriculum on the Death Penalty Classroom Resource Manual
By Death Penalty Information Center, on 1 January 2003
2003
Campaigning
More details See the document
This web site and its accompanying materials are designed to assist both teachers and students in an exploration of capital punishment, presenting arguments for and against its use, as well as issues of ethics and justice that surround it.
- Document type Campaigning
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF 2006 (and the first seven months of 2007)
By HANDS OFF CAIN, on 1 January 2007
2007
NGO report
enMore details See the document
The worldwide situation to date: The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for at least a decade, was again confirmed in 2006 and the first six months of 2007. There are currently 146 countries and territories that to different extents have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these, 93 are totally abolitionist, 9 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes, 1 (Russia) is committed to abolishing the death penalty as a member of the Council of Europe and currently observes a moratorium on executions, 4 have a moratorium on executions in place and 39 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. – no executions have taken place in the last ten years).
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Italian : SINTESI DEI FATTI PIU' IMPORTANTI DEL 2006 (e dei primi sette mesi del 2007)
Document(s)
The Decline of the Judicial Override
By Ben Cohen / Michael L. Radelet / Annual Review of Law and Social Science, on 1 January 2019
2019
Academic report
More details See the document
This article discusses the role of judges in death determinations, identifying jurisdictions that initially (post-1972) allowed judge sentencing and naming the individuals who today remain under judge-imposed death sentences. The decisions guaranteeing a jury determination have so far been applied only to cases that have not undergone initial review in state courts. Key questions remain unresolved, including whether the evolving standards of decency permit the execution of more than 100 individuals who were condemned to death by judges without a jury’s death verdict before implementation of the rules that now require unanimous jury votes.
- Document type Academic report
- Themes list Due Process , Fair Trial,
Document(s)
The Politics of Fear and Death: Successive Problems in Capital Federal Habeas Corpus.”
By Bryan A. Stevenson / New York University (NYU), on 1 January 2002
2002
Article
United States
More details See the document
The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) of 1996 was drafted, enacted, and signed in an atmosphere of anger and fear. The legislation, which includes substantial cutbacks in the federal habeas corpus remedy, was Congress’s response to the tragedy of the Oklahoma City bombing. During the congressional hearings on the bills that culminated in AEDPA, the proponents of the legislation claimed that its habeas corpus restrictions and other provisions were necessary to fight domestic terrorism. The Senate bill was approved by the House on April 18, 1996, the day before the one-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. President Bill Clinton invoked the bombing in a statement he issued at the time of the Senate’s passage of the legislation and again when he signed the legislation into law. Even at the time of the debates, some courageous legislators were willing to denounce the fallacious connection that the bill’s proponents drew between the bombing and the broader issues of the scope and availability of habeas corpus review. Many of the habeas corpus restrictions ultimately built into AEDPA had been under consideration by Congress since 1990, though none had been adopted. The congressional proponents of these restrictions seized upon the Oklahoma City tragedy as a means of accomplishing their longstanding goal to scale back federal habeas corpus review.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
The death penalty in China
By Bin Lu, Hong Liang / Columbia University Press, on 1 January 2015
2015
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
Featuring experts from Europe, Australia, Japan, China, and the United States, this collection of essays follows changes in the theory and policy of China’s death penalty from the Mao era (1949–1979) through the Deng era (1980–1997) up to the present day. Using empirical data, such as capital offender and offense profiles, temporal and regional variations in capital punishment, and the impact of social media on public opinion and reform, contributors relay both the character of China’s death penalty practices and the incremental changes that indicate reform. They then compare the Chinese experience to other countries throughout Asia and the world, showing how change can be implemented even within a non-democratic and rigid political system, but also the dangers of promoting policies that society may not be ready to embrace.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
The Politics of the Death Penalty in Countries in Transition
By Routledge / Madoka Futamura, on 1 January 2014
2014
Book
More details See the document
Covering a diverse range of transitional processes in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East, The Politics of the Death Penalty in Countries in Transition offers a broad evaluation of countries whose death penalty policies have rarely been studied. The book would be useful to human rights researchers and international lawyers, in demonstrating how transition and transformation, ‘provide the catalyst for several of interrelated developments of which one is the reduction and elimination of capital punishment’.
- Document type Book
- Themes list International law, Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
The Death Penalty in Singapore: in Decline but Still Too Soon for Optimism
By National University of Singapore, on 1 January 2016
2016
Article
Singapore
More details See the document
A survey on Singaporeans’ opinion on the death penalty, which was led by Assoc Prof Chan Wing Cheong from the NUS Faculty of Law, found that most Singaporeans are in favour of the death penalty but less so for certain cases. Fewer support the death penalty for drug trafficking and firearms in cases where no one dies or is injured and there is also less support for the mandatory death penalty. The survey polled 1,500 Singapore citizens aged 18 to 74 between April and May 2016.For a free summary of the study: http://news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/11231-death-penalty-support-not-clear-cut
- Document type Article
- Countries list Singapore
- Themes list Public opinion, Public debate, World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Death Penalty, Statistics, Country/Regional profiles,
Member(s)
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center for the Promotion of Human Rights and Democracy in Iran
on 30 April 2020
Abdorrahman Boroumand Center previously know as Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation Mandate and goals : Promoting universal human rights in Iran and documenting the violation of the right to life in the Islamic Republic of Iran Kind of actions : Creation of an online memorial to the victims of the violation of the right to life in […]
2020
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Document(s)
The Debate Over the Death Penalty in Today’s China
By Zhang Ning / China perpectives, on 1 January 2005
2005
Article
China
More details See the document
Despite the sensitivity of the subject, the death penalty is currently a topic of public discussion among Chinese legal experts who are now openly wondering about its possible abolition. This debate is of interest on three counts. First, it goes hand-in-hand with a retrospective reading of the Chinese penal tradition, highlighting the succession of attempts at modernising criminal law for over a century. It also shows the ever present weight of the Maoist legacy and the contradictions of the present policy, caught between a concern for legality and continuing recourse to exceptional measures. Lastly, legal professionals and theorists alike are engaging in a review—based on specific cases—of the particular features of contemporary Chinese society and culture.
- Document type Article
- Countries list China
- Themes list Public debate,
Document(s)
Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
By University of Pittsburgh Law Review / Christof Heyns , on 1 January 2014
2014
International law - United Nations
arrufresMore details See the document
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur provides an overview of hisactivities and considers four topics relating to the protection of the right to life:(a) the role of regional human rights systems; (b) less lethal and unmanned weaponsinlaw enforcement; (c) resumptions of the death penalty; and (d) the role ofstatistical indicators.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list International law, Statistics,
- Available languages تقريـــر المقـــرِّر الخـــاص المعـــني بحـــالات انعـــداج نـــارا نـــان القـــا ون وو انعداج جرا ات موجزة وو انعداج التعسُّفيДоклад Специального докладчика по вопросу о внесудебных , суммарных или произвольных казняхRapport du Rapporteur spécial sur le s exécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitrairesInforme del Relator Especial sobre las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias
Document(s)
2015 World Day Report
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 1 January 2016
2016
NGO report
frMore details Download [ pdf - 2276 Ko ]
On 10 October 2015, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty along with abolitionist activists worldwide marked the 13th World Day against the Death Penalty by drawing attention to the death penalty for drug crimes. This report presents the activities organised for the 13th world day and the media coverage it received.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Terrorism,
- Available languages Rapport Journée Mondiale 2015
Document(s)
Sentenced to Death: A Report on Washington Supreme Court Rulings In Capital Cases
By American Civil Liberties Union / Washington, on 1 January 2001
2001
NGO report
More details See the document
The ACLU conducted an analysis of court rulings in the 25 Washington cases in which the death sentence has been imposed since 1981, when the current death penalty statute took effect. That analysis of almost two decades of death sentences and executions makes it clear that the system by which we impose and review death sentences in Washington is fundamentally flawed.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Death penalty ‘traumatises jail warders’
By Daily Nation, on 1 January 2011
2011
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
The men who lead death row inmates to the gallows are traumatised on surrendering a prisoner to the hangman. This was told at a meeting of judges, commissioners of prisons and legal practitioners from East Africa on the death penalty in Nairobi.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Retribution, Death Row Conditions, Sentencing Alternatives,
Document(s)
Matters of Judgment
By National Law University, New Delhi Press, on 1 January 2017
2017
Academic report
More details See the document
The aim of this study was to explore the opinions of former judges of the Supreme Court of India on the death penalty and more generally on the state of India’s criminal justice system as far as it was relevant to the death penalty. The study did not focus on the position that former judges took on the death penalty but was instead interested in understanding the reasons they saw for both abolition and retention. In addition to exploring those reasons, the study also wanted to map the understanding of the ‘rarest of rare’ doctrine among former judges and get insights into the manner in which judicial discretion is exercised in death penalty cases. Finally, we wanted to locate all these discussions on the death penalty in the context of an evaluation of the criminal justice system by the former judges.
- Document type Academic report
- Themes list Networks, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Korean : Death Penalty: Another Murder
By Amnesty International, on 8 September 2020
2020
Academic report
Republic of Korea
More details See the document
For 15 years there have been no executions in South Korea. The film focuses mainly on South Korea through the stories of those directly affected by the death penalty and others outside the country who argue the case for abolition from the perspective of victims’ families, Renny Cushing, Murder Victims Families for Human Rights. It includes testimony from those sentenced to death, a prison warden, the former President of South Korea, Kim Dae Jung, a former prisoner of conscience who was himself sentenced to death and who introduced a moratorium during his presidency. No executions have taken place in South Korea since former President Kim Dae Jung announced his decision. In September South Korea celebrated 5,000 days with no executions.
- Document type Academic report
- Countries list Republic of Korea
- Themes list Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF 2005 (AND THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF 2006)
By HANDS OFF CAIN, on 1 January 2006
2006
NGO report
enMore details See the document
The worldwide situation to date: The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for at least a decade, was again confirmed in 2005 and the first half of 2006. There are currently 142 countries that to different extents have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these: 90 are totally abolitionist; 10 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes; 1 (Russia) is committed to abolishing the death penalty as a member of the Council of Europe and currently observing a moratorium on executions; 5 have a moratorium on executions in place and 37 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. no executions have taken place in those countries for at least ten years).
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Italian : I FATTI PIù IMPORTANTI DEL 2005 (e dei primi sei mesi del 2006)
Document(s)
The Advocacy Handbook: A Guide to Implementing Recommendations of the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project
By Council of State Governments Justice Center, on 1 January 2006
Campaigning
More details See the document
A how-to guide for advocates who want to improve the response to people with mental illnesses who are in contact with the criminal justice system. The Advocacy Handbook reflects a shared effort among NAMI (the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill), the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, and the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project.
- Document type Campaigning
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Foreign Nationals and the Death Penalty in the US
By Death Penalty Information Center / Mark Warren, on 1 January 2013
2013
Article
United States
More details See the document
New information on foreign nationals facing the death penalty in the U.S. is now available through Mark Warren of Human Rights Research. This DPIC page includes information on 143 foreign citizens from 37 countries on state and federal death rows.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Discrimination and Instructional Comprehension: Guided Discretion, Racial Bias, and the Death Penalty
By Craig Haney / Mona Lynch / Law and Human Behavior, on 1 January 2000
2000
Article
United States
More details See the document
This study links two previously unrelated lines of research: The lack of comprehension of capital penalty-phase jury instructions and discriminatory death sentencing. Jury-eligible subjects were randomly assigned to view one of four versions of a simulated capital penalty trial in which the race of defendant (Black or White) and the race of victim (Black or White) were varied orthogonally. Dependent measures included a sentencing verdict (life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty), ratings of penalty phase evidence, and a test of instructional comprehension. Results indicated that instructional comprehension was poor overall and that, although Black defendants were treated only slightly more punitively than White defendants in general, discriminatory effects were concentrated among participants whose comprehension was poorest. In addition, the use of penalty phase evidence differed as a function of race of defendant and whether the participant sentenced the defendant to life or death. The study suggest that racially biased and capricious death sentencing may be in part caused or exacerbated by the inability to comprehend penalty phase instructions.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Dead Innocent: The Death Penalty Abolitionist Search for a Wrongful Execution.
By Jeffrey L. Kirchmeier / Tulsa Law Review, on 1 January 2006
2006
Article
United States
More details See the document
This article examines the debate about whether or not an innocent person has been executed in the United States. The article begins by discussing several famous historical claims of wrongful execution, including Sacco & Vanzetti, the Rosenbergs, and Bruno Hauptmann. Then, the article addresses some recent claims of wrongful executions, including the case of Larry Griffin and the impact of a 2006 DNA test in the Roger Coleman case. The article evaluates why some innocence claims attract more attention than others. By recognizing two obstacles in wrongful execution claims and by establishing five lessons for gaining media attention, the article uses its historical analysis to extract strategy lessons for death penalty abolitionists. Finally, the article weighs arguments regarding the pros and cons of an abolitionist strategy that focuses on proving the innocence of executed individuals. The article concludes that wrongful execution claims provide an important argument for abolitionists, but such claims should not be presented as the main or only problem with the death penalty.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Innocence,
Document(s)
Criminological analysis on deterrent power of death penalty
By Yuanhuang Zhang / Frontiers of law in China, on 1 January 2009
2009
Article
China
zh-hantMore details See the document
Death penalty is the most effective deterrence to grave crimes, which has been the key basis for the State to retain death penalty. In fact, either in legislation or in execution, death penalty can not produce the special deterrent effect as expected. With respect to this issue, people tend to conduct normative exploration from the perspective of ordinary legal principles or the principle of human rights, which is more speculative than convincing. Correct interpretation based on the existing positive analysis and differentiation based on human nature which sifts the true from the false will not only help end the simple, repetitive and meaningless arguments regarding the basis for the existence of death penalty, but also help understand the rational nature of both the elimination and the preservation of death penalty, so as to define the basic direction towards which the State should make efforts in controlling death penalty in the context of promoting social civilization.
- Document type Article
- Countries list China
- Themes list Deterrence ,
- Available languages 犯罪学分析死刑威慑力量(注:英文名翻译)
Document(s)
The death penalty in China today: Kill fewer, kill cautiously
By Susan Trevaskes / Asian Survey, on 1 January 2008
2008
Article
China
More details See the document
While the PRC death penalty debate has been an ongoing and highly contentious issue in the international human rights arena, death sentence policy and practice in China has remained relatively static since the early 1980s. Events in late 2006 and early 2007 have now dramatically changed the landscape of capital punishment in China. This paper analyses the recent debate on the death penalty in terms of the shifting power relationships in China today. The Supreme People’s Court wants to strictly limit the death penalty to only the ‘most heinous’ criminals while the politburo on the other hand, wants to maintain the two-decade old ‘strike hard’ policy which encourages severe punishment to be meted out to a wider range of serious criminals.
- Document type Article
- Countries list China
- Themes list Public debate,
Document(s)
Cruel and Unusual: The American Death Penalty and the Founders’ Eighth Amendment
By John D. Bessler / Northeastern University Press, on 1 January 2012
2012
Book
United States
More details See the document
Bessler examines the Supreme Court’s Eighth Amendment case law and concludes that the death penalty may well be declared unconstitutional in time. Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, called the book, “A searing indictment of capital punishment, this pioneering history of the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause is destined to reframe America’s death penalty debate.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list International law, Public debate,
Document(s)
Killing McVeigh: The Death Penalty and the Myth of Closure
By Jody Lyneé Madeira / New York University (NYU), on 1 January 2012
Book
More details See the document
Professor Jody Lynee’ Madeira of the Indiana University School of Law follows the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing to explore whether the families of murder victims obtain closure from an execution. In Killing McVeigh: The Death Penalty and the Myth of Closure, Prof. Madeira recounts her wide range of interviews with those who experienced this tragedy first-hand.
- Document type Book
- Themes list Murder Victims' Families,
Document(s)
Initiating Constructive Debate: A Critical Reflection on the Death Penalty in Africa
By Lilian Chenwi / Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa, on 1 January 2005
2005
Article
More details See the document
This article aims to show that there is a need for constructive debate on the death penalty in Africa. Considering that the African Commission is encouraging such a debate, the article begins with an examination of its stance on the subject. This is followed by a brief evaluation of the use of the death penalty in Africa, highlighting some areas of concern. The death penalty is then considered from a human rights perspective, focusing mainly on the possibility of relying on constitutional provisions on the right to life and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment to challenge the death penalty.
- Document type Article
- Themes list Right to life, Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Mandatory Death Penalty,
Document(s)
The death penalty and poverty: Promoting access to justice for the poor in Nigeria
By Adaobi Egboka, on 1 January 2017
2017
Multimedia content
Botswana
More details Download [ pdf - 575 Ko ]
Presentation of Adaobi Egboka, from Legal Defense and Assistance Project for the plenary session on poverty and the death penalty which took place during the 2017 General Assembly of the World Coalition.
- Document type Multimedia content
- Countries list Botswana
- Themes list Fair Trial, World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Parlamentarians and the Abolition of the Death Penalty – A Resource –
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty / Francis H. Warburton, on 8 September 2020
2020
Book
More details Download [ pdf - 667 Ko ]
This resource is for parlamentarians around the globe, currently working or thinking of working for the abolition of the death penalty. It is intended to provide some of the key arguments for abolition based on a series of case studies, showing how abolition has been achieved around the world. It is provided with an arguments section as well as with specific case studies based on countries that have either achieved abolition or have managed to achieve one of the intermediate steps toward abolition.
- Document type Book
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
Turkey: The Risk of Reinstatment of the Death Penalty
By World Caolition againt the Death Penalty, Anne Souléliac, Rusen Aytac - Barreau de Paris, on 10 August 2021
2021
Campaigning
Public Opinion
Turkey
frMore details Download [ pdf - 312 Ko ]
Findings from a preliminary study on the situation of human rights defenders in Turkey and the potential of a return to capital punishment.
- Document type Campaigning
- Countries list Turkey
- Themes list Public Opinion
- Available languages Turquie : Quels sont les risques de rétablissement de la peine de mort ?
Document(s)
Death Dissent and Diplomacy: The U.S. Death Penalty as an Obstacle to Foreign relations
By Mark Warren / William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, on 1 January 2004
2004
Article
United States
More details See the document
Widely believed to be the innocent victims of an unfair trial, two foreign nationals facing execution in the United States had captured the attention of theworld. Rallies in their support attracted huge crowds in London and Paris, in Buenos Aires, Johannesburg, Bombay and Tokyo. Petitions for mercy flooded the governor’s office, signed by half a million people worldwide. The Italian head of state, former Nobel prize winners, and the Vatican joined in the global appealfor clemency, all to no avail. The world watched as the final days ticked away, transfixed by the last-minute battle to obtain a new trial amid a mounting storm ofdomestic and international protest. Citing procedural default and deference to state law, the appellate courts refused to intervene.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Networks,
Member(s)
Ordre des avocats de Genève
on 30 April 2020
The Geneva Bar association (Ordre des Avocats de Genève) represents lawyers before the authorities, other regional bar associations, foreign bar associations and the Swiss Lawyers’ Federation. At the same time, it looks after the strict application of ethical and deontological standards. The Geneva Bar association was a partner of the 4th World Congress Against the […]
2020
Switzerland
Member(s)
Confédération générale du travail (CGT)
on 30 April 2020
The General Confederation of Labour (Confédération générale du travail – CGT) is based in France and is strong of 690,000 members. It is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation and the International Trade Union Confederation and is one of the confederated unions representing France. Through its analysis, proposals and action, it aims at developping […]
France
Document(s)
When Legislatures Delegate Death: The Troubling Paradox Behind State Uses of Electrocution and Lethal Injection and What It Says About Us
By Deborah W. Denno / Ohio State Law Journal, on 1 January 2002
2002
Article
United States
More details See the document
This article discusses the paradoxical motivations and problems behind legislative changes from one method of execution to the next, and particularly moves from electrocution to lethal injection. Legislatures and courts insist that the primary reason states switch execution methods is to ensure greater humaneness for death row inmates. History shows, however, that such moves were prompted primarily because the death penalty itself became constitutionally jeopardized due to a state’s particular method. The result has been a warped legal “philosophy” of punishment, at times peculiarly aligning both friends and foes of the death penalty alike and wrongly enabling legislatures to delegate death to unknowledgeable prison personnel. This article first examines the constitutionality of electrocution, contending that a modern Eighth Amendment analysis of a range of factors, such as legislative trends toward lethal injection, indicates that electrocution is cruel and unusual. It then provides an Eighth Amendment review of lethal injection, demonstrating that injection also involves unnecessary pain, the risk of such pain, and a loss of dignity. These failures seem to be attributed to vague lethal injection statutes, uninformed prison personnel, and skeletal or inaccurate lethal injection protocols. The article next presents the author’s study of the most current protocols for lethal injection in all thirty-six states where anesthesia is used for a state execution. The study focuses on a number of criteria contained in many protocols that are key to applying an injection, including: the types and amounts of chemicals that are injected; the selection, training, preparation, and qualifications of the lethal injection team; the involvement of medical personnel; the presence of general witnesses and media witnesses; as well as details on how the procedure is conducted and how much of it witnesses can see. The study emphasizes that the criteria in many protocols are far too vague to assess adequately. When the protocols do offer details, such as the amount and type of chemicals that executioners inject, they oftentimes reveal striking errors and ignorance about the procedure. Suchinaccurate or missing information heightens the likelihood that a lethal injection will be botched and suggests that states are not capable of executing an inmate constitutionally. Even though executions have become increasingly hidden from the public, and therefore more politically palatable, they have not become more humane, only more difficult to monitor.
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Lethal Injection, Electrocution,
Article(s)
256 Death Sentences Commuted Into Life in Tanzania
By Louis Linel, on 11 December 2020
On the occasion of Tanzania’s Independence Day on 9 December, President John Magufuli announced he would commute the death sentences of 256 convicts into life imprisonment. The law say I must hang all 256 of them. [But] [w]ho will be more sinful – those convicted of killing one, two, or three people, or me, who […]
2020
Clemency
United Republic of Tanzania
Document(s)
Application form – Call for Actions in the Philippines (18th World Day)
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 8 September 2020
2020
Multimedia content
Philippines
More details Download [ vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document - 49 Ko ]
Call for actions in the Philippines
- Document type Multimedia content
- Countries list Philippines
- Themes list World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, Death Penalty,
Document(s)
World Report 2011
By Human Rights Watch, on 1 January 2011
2011
NGO report
More details See the document
This report is does not specificly concern the death penalty but examines the use of the death penalty on juveniles and those with mental illness in many retentionist countries. It contains information gathered in 2009.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Juveniles, Mental Illness,
Document(s)
Death sentences and executions in 2010
By Amnesty International, on 1 January 2011
NGO report
fresMore details See the document
In the last decade, more than 30 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Fifty-eight countries worldwide now retain the death penalty for ordinary crimes, and less than half of these carried out executions in 2010. This report analyzes some of the key developments in the worldwide application of the death penalty in 2010, citing figures gathered by Amnesty International on the number of death sentences handed down and executions carried out during the year.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Condamnations à mort et exécutions et exécutions en 2010Condenas a meurte y ejecuciones en 2010
Document(s)
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Report of the Special Rapporteur, Philip Alston
By United Nations / Philip Alston, on 1 January 2004
2004
International law - United Nations
arfrzh-hantesruMore details See the document
This report is submitted pursuant to Commission resolution 2005/34, and should be read in conjunction with its various addenda. They provide the following: a detailed analysis of communications sent to Governments which describe alleged cases of extrajudicial executions; reports on country missions to Nigeria and Sri Lanka during 2005; a report on the principle of transparency in relation to the death penalty; and several reports aimed at following up on earlier country missions to the Sudan, Brazil, Honduras and Jamaica.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
- Available languages تعسفاً أو موجزة بإجراءات أو القضاء نطاق خارج الإعدام حا ألستون* فيليب الخاص المقرر تExécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitraires: Rapport du Rapporteur spécial, Philip Alston法外处决、即审即决或任意处决问题特别报告员: 菲利普·奥尔斯顿的报告Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias: Informe del Relator Especial, Sr. Philip AlstonВнесудебные казни, казни без надлежащего судебного разбирательства или произвольные казни: Доклад Специального докладчика Филипа Алстона
Document(s)
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Report of the special rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/35
By United Nations / Asma Jahangir, on 1 January 2000
2000
International law - United Nations
arrufrzh-hantesMore details See the document
In its resolution 1999/35, the Commission on Human Rights requested the Special Rapporteur to continue monitoring the implementation of existing international standards on safeguards and restrictions relating to the imposition of capital punishment, bearing in mind the comments made by the Human Rights Committee in its interpretation of article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as well as the Second Optional Protocol thereto.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
- Available languages حالات الإعدام خارج نطاق القضاء أو بإجراء اتموجة أو تعسفاً تقرير المقرر الخاص اسمة جهانقير, مقدم مطابقا لقرار لجنة الحقوق الانسان 1999/35Внесудебные, суммарные и произвольные казни: Отчет специального докладчика Асмы Джахангир (Asma Jahangir) предоставленный в ответ на резолюцию 1999/35 Комиссии по правам человекаExécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitraires: Rapport de Mme Asma Jahangir, Rapporteuse spéciale, présenté conformément à la résolution 1999/35 de la Commission des droits de l'homme法外处决即审即决或任意处决: 特别报告员阿斯玛贾汉吉尔女士根据人权委员会第1999/35 号决议提交的报告Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias: Informe de la Relatora Especial, Sra. Asma Jahangir, presentado en cumplimiento de la resolución 1999/35 de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos
Document(s)
California’s Death Penalty is Dead
By Natasha Minsker / American Civil Liberties Union / Miriam Gerace / Ana Zamora, on 1 January 2011
2011
NGO report
More details See the document
California’s death penalty is dead. Prosecutors, legislators and taxpayers are turning to permanent imprisonment with no chance of parole as evidence grows that the system is costly, risky, and dangerous to public safety.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
Responsible Business Engagement on the Death Penalty. A Practical Guide
By Responsible Business Initiative on the Death Penalty, on 1 January 2019
2019
Working with...
frMore details See the document
Business engagement in the death penalty is critical because of the impact it can have. Putsimply: the power is in your hands. If your business is looking for a human rights issue whereit can achieve measurable change, advocacy on the death penalty must be considered.Global support for the death penalty is declining. Meanwhile, competition for investment isfierce. Governments and the public at large care more about job creation and a healthy economythan a system of executions. Therefore, the voices of businesses and business leaders havea huge role to play in shaping public dialogue about whether to keep – or end – the use ofcapital punishment.
- Document type Working with...
- Themes list Networks, Death Penalty,
- Available languages Entreprises Responsables et Engagements sur la Peine de Mort: Guide Pratique
Document(s)
Justice Denied : A Global Study of Wrongful Death Row Convictions January 2018
By Sandra Babcock / Cornell Law School / Madalyn Wasilczuk and Sharon Pia Hickey / Delphine Lourtau / Katie Campbell / Julie Bloch, on 1 January 2018
2018
Academic report
frMore details See the document
On March 7, 2018, the Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide launched its new report entitled Justice Denied: A Global Study of Wrongful Death Row Convictions at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. The report is a first-of-its-kind comparative study of the risk factors that increase the likelihood of wrongful convictions. The report illuminates the similarities in wrongful conviction risk factors in six countries across the geographical and political spectrum: Cameroon, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
- Document type Academic report
- Themes list Innocence, Death Row Conditions, Death Penalty,
- Available languages Déni de justice : Une étude mondiale sur les erreurs judiciaires dans les couloirs de la mort
Document(s)
Terror on Death Row: The Abuse and Overuse of Pakistan’s Anti-Terrorism Legislation
By Reprieve / Justice Project Pakistan, on 8 September 2020
2020
NGO report
Pakistan
More details See the document
This report is a result of death row prisoner data from 38 prisons across Pakistan’s four provinces(Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (‘KPK ’),Punjab and Sindh. For most of Pakistan, the data runs to December 2012, thereby covering all those who are presently subject to execution dates. However, the report reflects further data on the province of Sindh running to October 2014
- Document type NGO report
- Countries list Pakistan
- Themes list Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
SLAMMING THE COURTHOUSE DOORS – Denial of Access to Justice and Remedy in America
By American Civil Liberties Union / Washington, on 8 September 2020
NGO report
United States
More details See the document
According to a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) entitled, “Slamming the Courthouse Doors: Denial of Access to Justice and Remedy in America,” many states severely restrict access to justice for capital defendants and limit the availability of remedies to correct errors. The problem of inadequate counsel continues to pervade death penalty systems across the country: “Few states provide adequate funds to compensate lawyers for their work or to investigate cases properly. In addition to inadequate funding, the majority of death-penalty states lack adequate competency standards. Many states require only minimal training and experience for attorneys handling death penalty cases, and in some cases capital defense attorneys fail to meet the minimum guidelines for capital defense set by the American Bar Association (ABA),” according to the ACLU. The report also states that the absence of a right to counsel in post-conviction appeals leaves capital defendants with few options to address serious errors during their trial.
- Document type NGO report
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Mapping the Fate of the Dead (Killings and Burials in North Korea)
By Transitional Justice Working Group, on 1 January 2019
2019
NGO report
More details See the document
The Transitional Justice Working Group’s 2019 report “Mapping the Fate of the Dead: Killings and Burials in North Korea” is based on four years of research(2015-2019) to document and map three types of locations connected to human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea):
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Iran/death penalty: A state terror policy
By International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) / Antoine Bernard, on 1 January 2009
2009
NGO report
enMore details See the document
As momentum is gathering across the world towards abolition of capital punishment, Iran ranks second for number of executions, after China, and first for per capita executions. Unfair trials, execution of juveniles, targeting of ethnic and religious minorities… the death penalty is applied in blatant violation of Iran’s obligations under international human rights law. A very wide range of offences (including economic, drug-related, so-called sexual offences, apostasy…) carry the death penalty and the methods of execution (public hangings, stoning…)amount to the most inhuman and degrading treatment.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Minorities, Fair Trial, Country/Regional profiles,
- Available languages ایران: مجازات اعدام - سیاست دولتی ایجاد وحشت
Document(s)
Northwestern Death Penalty Project
By Northwestern University Centre on Wrongful Convictions, on 1 January 1998
1998
Working with...
More details See the document
The Center on Wrongful Convictions is dedicated to identifying and rectifying wrongful convictions and other serious miscarriages of justice. The Center has three components: representation, research, and community services. Center faculty, staff, cooperating outside attorneys, and Bluhm Legal Clinic students investigate possible wrongful convictions and represent imprisoned clients with claims of actual innocence. The research component focuses on identifying systemic problems in the criminal justice system and, together with the community services component, on developing initiatives designed to raise public awareness of the prevalence, causes, and social costs of wrongful convictions and promote reform of the criminal justice system. In addition, the community services component helps exonerated former prisoners cope with the difficult process of reintegration into free society.
- Document type Working with...
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Infographic: Death Penalty in California
By California Innocence Project, on 1 January 2013
2013
Lobbying
More details See the document
The death penalty in the state of California continues to be a major focus, due in part to the burden it places on tax payers. Our goal with this infographic was to examine the facts, and the facts alone. Even though Proposition 34 did not pass in the most recent election, this issue will continue to be argued and remain a pressing issue, especially during difficult economic times.
- Document type Lobbying
- Themes list Minorities, International law, Public debate,
Document(s)
Kit for Cities Against the Death Penalty
By Community of Saint Egidio, on 1 January 2012
2012
Campaigning
fresMore details Download [ msword - 324 Ko ]
- Document type Campaigning
- Available languages Kit pour les Villes contre la peine de mortKit Ciudades contra la Pena de Muerte
Document(s)
Kit for Cities Against the Death Penalty – 2015
By Community of Saint Egidio, on 8 September 2020
2020
Academic report
fresMore details Download [ pdf - 341 Ko ]
- Document type Academic report
- Available languages Kit pour les Villes contre la peine de mort - 2015Kit Ciudades contra la Pena de Muerte - 2015
Document(s)
Leaflet Cities Against the Death Penalty
By Community of Saint Egidio, on 1 January 2012
2012
Campaigning
esfrMore details Download [ pdf - 326 Ko ]
- Document type Campaigning
- Available languages Folleto Ciudades contra la Pena de MuerteBrochure Villes contre la peine de mort
Document(s)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF 2008 (and the first six months of 2009)
By HANDS OFF CAIN, on 1 January 2009
2009
NGO report
enMore details See the document
The Worldwide Situation to Date: The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for at least a decade, was again confirmed in 2008 and the first six months of 2009. There are currently 151 countries and territories that to different extents have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these: 96 are totally abolitionist; 8 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes; 5 have a moratorium on executions in place and 42 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. countries that have not carried out any executions for at least 10 years or countries which have binding obligations not to use the death penalty).
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Italian : SINTESI DEI FATTI PIÙ IMPORTANTI DEL 2008 (e dei primi sei mesi del 2009)
Document(s)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF 2009 (and the first six months of 2010)
By HANDS OFF CAIN, on 8 September 2020
2020
NGO report
enMore details See the document
THE SITUATION TODAY The worldwide trend towards abolition, underway for more than ten years, was again confirmed in 2009 and the first six months of 2010. There are currently 154 countries and territories that, to different extents, have decided to renounce the death penalty. Of these: 96 are totally abolitionist; 8 are abolitionist for ordinary crimes; 6 have a moratorium on executions in place and 44 are de facto abolitionist (i.e. countries that have not carried out any executions for at least 10 years or countries which have binding obligations not to use the death penalty).
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Italian : I FATTI PIÙ IMPORTANTI DEL 2009 (E DEI PRIMI SEI MESI DEL 2010)
Document(s)
Black is the Day, Black is the Night
By Amy Elkins, on 1 January 2014
2014
Working with...
More details See the document
Black is the Day, Black is the Night is conceptual exploration into the many facets of human identity using notions of time, accumulation, memory and distance through personal correspondence with men serving life and death row sentences in some of the most maximum security prisons in the U.S., all of which had served between 13-26 years at point of contact.
- Document type Working with...
- Themes list Death Row Conditions,
Document(s)
Information Handbook on the Council of the European Union
By Council of the European Union / European Union, on 1 January 2006
2006
Working with...
frMore details See the document
The purpose of this handbook — which has been prepared on the responsibility of the General Secretariat of the Council and has no legal force — is to explain certain basic concepts of how the Council works, but above all to provide practical information both on existing sources of information and on the implementation of measures adopted with regard to openness and transparency. These measures illustrate the Council’s desire to get closer to citizens in order to build their confidence in European integration.
- Document type Working with...
- Themes list Networks,
- Available languages Guide de l’information du Conseil de l’Union européenne
Document(s)
The death penalty – Abolition in Europe
By Council of Europe / Peter Hodgkinson / Roger Hood / Michel Forst / Stefan Trechsel / Caroline Ravaud / Hans-Christian Kruger / Philippe Toussaint / Serguei Kovalev / Eric Prokosch / Renate Wohlwend / Roberto Toscano / Roberto Fico / Anatoly Pristavkin / Sergiy Holovatiy, on 8 September 1999
1999
Book
Czech Republic
More details See the document
Europe is the first continent in which the death penalty has been almost completely abolished. The Council of Europe has been Europe’s major defender of abolition and presently requires all countries seeking membership in its ranks to place a moratorium on the death penalty. This collection of texts by major European abolitionists includes voices from countries which have enjoyed abolition for many years, as well as from those where abolition has been a struggle against public opinion. Contributors from governments, universities and NGOs add their voices to that of the Council of Europe, explaining the achievements and the ground still to be covered in attaining total abolition in Europe. An introduction by a world expert on abolition, Roger Hood and a conclusion by Russia’s leading abolitionist Sergey Kovalev makes this volume a moving testament to the battle for abolition of the death penalty, which is already so well advanced in Europe. This collection also contains a detailed explanation of Protocol No. 6 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which deals specifically with abolition of the death penalty, as well as reports on various eastern European countries which have yet to attain complete abolitionist status.
- Document type Book
- Countries list Czech Republic
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
Resolution 65/206 – Moratorium on the use of the death penalty
By United Nations General Assembly, on 8 September 2020
2020
International law - United Nations
aresfrruzh-hantMore details See the document
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the Third Committee (A/65/456/Add.2 (Part II))] 65/206. Moratorium on the use of the death penalty
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Available languages قرار ٦٥/ ٢٠٦ - وقف العمل بعقوبة الإعدامResolución 65/206 - Moratoria del uso de la pena de muerteRésolution 65/206 - Moratoire sur l'application de la peine de mortРезолюция 65/206 - Мораторий на применение смертной казни大会决议65/206 - 暂停使用死刑
Document(s)
Debating the death penalty: should America have capital punishment? : the experts on both sides make their case
By Hugo Adam Bedau / Stephen B. Bright / Joshua K. Marquis / Bryan Stevenson / Louis P. Pojman / Alex Kozinski / Paul G. Cassell / Oxford University Press / George Ryan, on 1 January 2004
2004
Book
United States
More details See the document
This book contains contributions from judges, attorneys, and academicians on both sides of the death penalty question. The grounds advanced for justification of capital punishment–including deterrence, retribution, and closure for victims’ families–are considered. Whether life imprisonment is adequate to address these concerns is also debated. Other issues include whether racial minorities or indigent defendants are disproportionately executed, whether the penalty is otherwise arbitrarily applied, and what risks exist regarding the execution of an innocent person.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
Failings of the Supreme Court, Human Sacrifice, Sentencing and the Death Penalty
By Anup Surendranath / Economic and Political Weekly, on 1 January 2020
2020
Article
India
More details See the document
In the judicial discourse on the relationship between human sacrifice and punishment in criminal law, there are glaring errors. Looking closely at the Supreme Court’s judgment in Ishwari Lal Yadav v State of Chhattisgarh, the deviation from the principle of individualised sentencing and the consequences of ignoring evidence on the complex anthropological and psychological dimensions of human sacrifice are reflected upon.
- Document type Article
- Countries list India
- Themes list Hanging,
Document(s)
The Role of Organized Religions in Changing Death Penalty Debates
By Michael L. Radelet / William and Mary Bill of Rights Journal, on 1 January 2000
2000
Article
More details See the document
In his Article, Professor Michael L. Radelet describes a global decline in the use of the death penalty, the United Nation’s progressively stronger stance against executions, and a growing opposition to capital punishment in the United States. This decrease is attributed to both empirical studies casting doubt on the death penalty’s efficacy in promoting its stated underlying goals, and to the increasingly vocal stance of religious leaders morally opposed to capital punishment. Nevertheless, the decline in other justifications for capital punishment has been met with increasing reliance on retribution as the primary argument in its support. Professor Radelet argues that retribution’s moral, rather than empirical, base makes it an issue largely within the purview of religious denominations, the traditional source of a community’s moral authority. Professor Radelet predicts that religious leaders’ increasing opposition to the flawed administration of the death penalty, rather than their lesser support for the abstract concept of capital punishment, will tip the balance toward its abolition in America.
- Document type Article
- Themes list Religion ,
Document(s)
In May 2020, While the World May Be Under a Lockdown, the Death Penalty is Not!
By World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, on 1 January 2020
2020
Multimedia content
frMore details Download [ pdf - 182 Ko ]
Statement from the World Coalition calling for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty during the COVID-19 pandemics.
- Document type Multimedia content
- Themes list Moratorium , Death Penalty,
- Available languages En mai 2020, la peine de mort n'est pas confinée !
Document(s)
Flyer-The Death Penalty in the Context of Public Security: Neither Right, Nor Effective
By Greater Caribbean For Life, on 1 January 2013
2013
Multimedia content
Trinidad and Tobago
More details Download [ pdf - 179 Ko ]
Flyer for the Caribbean Conference – The Death Penalty in the Context of Public Security: Neither Right, Nor Effective organised to celebrate the 11th World Day Against the Death Penalty dedicated to the Greater Caribbean, by local civil society in Trinidad and Tobago on October, 1st. 2013
- Document type Multimedia content
- Countries list Trinidad and Tobago
- Themes list Deterrence ,
Document(s)
The political origins of death penalty exceptionalism: Mao Zedong and the practice of capital punishment in contemporary China
By Zhang Ning / Punishment and Society, on 1 January 2008
2008
Article
China
More details See the document
This article focuses on the role played by Mao Zedong in the making of the Chinese communist legal system in general and in the Chinese practice of the death penalty under Mao in particular. It attempts to study this link through an analysis of an event which represented a landmark, namely the campaign of the regression against counterrevolutionaries launched in 1950—2, and through an examination of three specific cases, which enable us to observe the concrete characteristics of these practices, whose effects continue to be felt in today’s China.
- Document type Article
- Countries list China
- Themes list Networks,
Document(s)
The North Carolina Racial Justice Act
By North Carolina Coalition For A Moratorium / YouTube, on 1 January 2009
2009
Arguments against the death penalty
More details See the document
House Bill 472 and Senate Bill 461, known as The North Carolina Racial Justice Act, addresses racial discrimination in capital sentencing. This video featuring death row exonoree Edward Chapman, talks about racial bias and how the Racial Justice Act attempts to assure that race would not play a role in who gets the death penalty.
- Document type Arguments against the death penalty
- Themes list Discrimination,
Document(s)
The State of Criminal Justice 2011
By American Bar Association / Ronald Tabak, on 1 January 2011
2011
NGO report
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The State of Criminal Justice 2011 contains a chapter on death penalty by Ronald Tabak (Ch. 19). Tabak explores legislative changes, the declining use of the death penalty, important Supreme Court decisions and the adequacy of representation.
- Document type NGO report
Document(s)
Annual Report on Human Rights 2009
By United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office, on 1 January 2010
2010
Government body report
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During 2009, we continued to strive for the global abolition of the death penalty. We made our opposition to it clear in our engagement with countries around the world, both bilaterally and in partnership with the EU. Bilaterally, we continue to fund work in the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Asia from our Human Rights Strategic Programme Fund. This includes working with key NGO partners, such as the Death Penalty Project and the Centre for Capital Punishment Studies at Westminster University in London. We also continued to raise the death penalty directly with governments, including China, Jamaica and the US.
- Document type Government body report
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
Document(s)
Report No. 211/20. Case 13.570. Report on admissibility and mertis. Lezmond C. Mitchell. United States of America
By Inter-american Commission on Human Rights, on 24 August 2020
2020
Regional body report
esMore details See the document
- Document type Regional body report
- Available languages Informe No. 211/20. Caso 13.750. Informe sobre admisibilidad y fondo. Lezmond C. Mitchell. Estados Unidos de America
Document(s)
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Report of the Special Rapporteur, Asma Jahangir
By United Nations / Asma Jahangir, on 1 January 2003
2003
International law - United Nations
frzh-hantesarruMore details See the document
The report also discusses the issue of capital punishment and makes reference to death penalty cases in which the Special Rapporteur has intervened in reaction to reports that the sentences concerned had been passed in violation of international restrictions and human rights standards.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
- Available languages Exécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitraires: Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale, Mme Asma Jahangir法外处决、即审即决或任意处决: 特别报告员阿斯玛·贾汉吉尔Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias: Informe de la Relatora Especial, Asma Jahangirحالات الإعدام خارج نطاق القضاء أو بإجراء اتموجة أو تعسفاً تقرير المقرر الخاص اسمة جهانقيرВнесудебные, суммарные и произвольные казни: Отчет специального докладчика Асмы Джахангир (Asma Jahangir)
Document(s)
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Report of the Special Rapporteur, Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2002/36
By United Nations / Asma Jahangir, on 1 January 2003
International law - United Nations
arrufrzh-hantesMore details See the document
The report also discusses the issue of capital punishment and makes reference to death penalty cases in which the Special Rapporteur has intervened in reaction to reports that the sentences concerned had been passed in violation of international restrictions and human rights standards.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
- Available languages حالات الإعدام خارج نطاق القضاء أو بإجراء اتموجة أو تعسفاً تقرير المقرر الخاص اسمة جهانقير, مقدم مطابقا لقرار لجنة الحقوق الانسان 2002/36Внесудебные казни, казни без надлежащего судебного разбирательства или произвольные казни: Доклад Специального докладчика Асмы Джахангир, представленный в соответствии с резолюцией 2002/36 Комиссии по правам человекаExécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitraires: Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale, Mme Asma Jahangir, soumis en application de la résolution 2002/36 de la Commission des droits de l’homme法外处决、即审即决或任意处决: 特别报告员阿斯玛·贾汉吉尔根据人权委员会第 2002/36 号决议提交的报告Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias: Informe de la Relatora Especial, Asma Jahangir, presentado en cumplimiento de la resolución 2002/36 de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos
Document(s)
Extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: Report of the Special Rapporteur, Ms. Asma Jahangir, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/45
By United Nations / Asma Jahangir, on 1 January 2002
2002
International law - United Nations
arrufrzh-hantesMore details See the document
The report also discusses the issue of capital punishment and makes reference to death penalty cases in which the Special Rapporteur has intervened in reaction to reports that the sentences concerned had been passed in violation of international restrictions and human rights standards.
- Document type International law - United Nations
- Themes list Trend Towards Abolition,
- Available languages حالات الإعدام خارج نطاق القضاء أو بإجراء اتموجة أو تعسفاً تقرير المقرر الخاص اسمة جهانقير, مقدم مطابقا لقرار لجنة الحقوق الانسان 2001/45Внесудебные казни, казни без надлежащего судебного разбирательства или произвольные казни: Доклад Специального докладчика г-жи Асмы Джахангир, представленный в соответствии с резолюцией 2001/45 Комиссии по правам человекаExécutions extrajudiciaires, sommaires ou arbitraires: Rapport de la Rapporteuse spéciale, Mme Asma Jahangir, présenté en application de la résolution 2001/45 de la Commission des droits de l'homme法外处决 即审即决或任意处决: 特别报告员阿斯玛 贾汉吉尔女士 根据人权委员会第 2001/45 号决议提交的报告Las ejecuciones extrajudiciales, sumarias o arbitrarias: Informe de la Relatora Especial, Sra. Asma Jahangir, presentado en cumplimiento de la resolución 2001/45 de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos
Document(s)
Death sentences and executions in 2009
By Amnesty International, on 1 January 2010
2010
NGO report
arfresMore details See the document
This document summarizes Amnesty International’s global research on the use of the death penalty in 2009. More than two-thirds of the countries of the world have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. While 58 countries retained the death penalty in 2009, most did not use it. Eighteen countries were known to have carried out executions, killing a total of 714 people; however, this figure does not include the thousands of executions that were likely to have taken place in China, which again refused to divulge figures on its use of the death penalty. For an update to this document please see http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ACT50/005/2010/en
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages أحكام الإعدام وعمليات الإعدام في عام 2009CONDAMNATIONS À MORT ET EXÉCUTIONS RECENSÉES EN 2009CONDENAS A MUERTE Y EJECUCIONES 2009
Document(s)
Death penalty disproportionately used against persons with significant mental impairments in five Florida Counties
By Fair Punishment Project, on 1 January 2017
2017
NGO report
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This study, focusing on five of Florida’s 67 counties considers 48 death sentences that were declared unconstitutional after a Florida Supreme Court decision. The research reveals that “63 percent of these individuals exhibit signs of serious mental illness or intellectual impairment, endured devastatingly severe childhood trauma, or were not old enough to legally purchase alcohol at the time the offense occurred.”
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment, Intellectual Disability, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
English speaking Caribbean: State Killing in the English speaking Caribbean: a legacy of colonial times
By Amnesty International, on 1 January 2002
2002
NGO report
More details See the document
This report seeks to answer the arguments put forward by the proponents of capital punishment in the English Speaking Caribbean and examines the shortcomings in the administration of the death penalty in the region.The paper primarily focuses on Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, the two countries with the largest death row populations in the region. However, details of other counties are given and the themes and problems illustrated in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are prevalent in the other nations of the ESC.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
Document(s)
Mom of murdered son finds ‘only pain’ from death penalty
By Florida Today, on 8 September 2020
2020
Academic report
United States
More details See the document
Politicians champion the death penalty while they campaign and are in office, and then they retire and move on, never having to deal with the reality of it.
- Document type Academic report
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Murder Victims' Families, Death Penalty, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
Infographic: Death Sentences in the USA in 2012
By Death Penalty Information Center, on 1 January 2012
2012
NGO report
More details See the document
DPIC collects information on the number of death sentences in the United States. We only count the number of “new sentences,” i.e., we do not recount individuals who were sentenced to death in a previous year, had their sentenced overturned, and were resentenced in the current year.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics, Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTS OF 2007 (and the first six months of 2008)
By HANDS OFF CAIN, on 1 January 2008
2008
NGO report
enMore details See the document
The U.N. Moratorium on Executions : On December 18, 2007, with 104 votes in favour, 54 votes against and 29 abstentions, the United Nations 62nd General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a Resolution that calls upon all States that still maintain the death penalty to “Establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list Statistics,
- Available languages Italian : SINTESI DEI FATTI PIÙ IMPORTANTI DEL 2007 (e dei primi sei mesi del 2008)
annual-report-death-penalty-iran-2020
on 5 May 2021
2021
report-death-penalty-iran-2021
on 10 June 2022
2022
Document(s)
Uses and Abuses of Empirical Evidence in the Death Penalty Debate
By John J. Donohue / Stanford Law Review / Justin Wolfers, on 1 January 2005
2005
Article
United States
More details See the document
Over much of the last half-century, the legal and political history of the death penalty in the United States has closely paralleled the debate within social science about its efficacy as a deterrent. The injection of Ehrlich’s conclusions into the legal and public policy arenas, coupled with the academic debate over Ehrlich’s methods, led the National Academy of Sciences to issue a 1978 report which argued that the existing evidence in support of a deterrent effect of capital punishment was unpersuasive. Over the next two decades, as a series of academic papers continued to debate the deterrence question, the number of executions gradually increased, albeit to levels much lower than those seen in the first half of the twentieth century
- Document type Article
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Deterrence ,
Document(s)
Most Deserving of Death? An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Death Penalty Jurisprudence
By Kenneth Williams / Ashgate Publishing, on 1 January 2012
2012
Book
United States
More details See the document
The book looks at issues such as jury selection, ineffective assistance of counsel, innocence, and race, and how these issues reflect on who is sentenced to death. Prof. Williams concludes that that application of the death penalty is inconsistent and incoherent, partly because of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence, and this leads to a lack of public confidence in the system.
- Document type Book
- Countries list United States
- Themes list Due Process , Fair Trial, Capital offences,
Document(s)
The Death Penalty in China and the World
By Amnesty International UK, on 8 September 2020
2020
Campaigning
More details See the document
In this lesson students aged 11-16 work collectively to use their mathematical skill and appropriate technology to examine and analyse information about the changing use of the death penalty in China and the world. They look for the most effective ways of presenting information using charts, graphs and maps, and comment on the reliability and validity of the data that they have collected.
- Document type Campaigning
- Themes list Country/Regional profiles,
Document(s)
THE DEATH PENALTY, EXTRADITION, AND THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM: U.S. RESPONSES TO EUROPEAN OPINION ABOUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
By Kathryn F. King / Buffalo Human Rights Law Review, on 1 January 2003
2003
Article
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This article gives insight into the different opinions held by the US and Europe in terms of the death penalty. The interplay between terrorism, the death penalty and extradition is also examined.
- Document type Article
- Themes list Extradition, Terrorism,
Document(s)
Protection of the Rights of Children of Parents Sentenced to Death or Exectued: An Expert Legal Analysis
By Quaker United Nations Office / Stephanie Farrior, on 1 January 2019
2019
NGO report
More details See the document
The QUNO’s report offers an updated review of differents elements of international law on the human rights of the child.
- Document type NGO report
- Themes list International law, World Coalition Against the Death Penalty,