Capital punishment is a volatile issue and one, which requires careful analysis. Popularity towards the death penalty by the majority of Australian people does not necessarily mean that the government of the time should automatically reintroduce this form of sentencing. Many people, both opponents and proponents, fail to understand the many issues involved and therefore have ill informed opinions. The consequences of capital punishment are both detailed and complex. Careful consideration to issues including the timing of public opinion polls, the effects of capital punishment on crime rates, sentencing differences, morality, rehabilitation and deterrence all need to be carefully considered before a final decision is addressed by the parliament.
Definition
The term capital comes from the Indo-European kaput, meaning "head", through the Latin capitalis. Thus, capital punishment is the penalty for a crime so severe that it deserves decapitation (losing one's head). Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offence or a capital crime. Some Middle East countries still practise decapitation for certain offences, but more common forms of the death penalty include electrocution, gas, firing squad, lethal injection and hanging. …
