The Death Penalty

Paper Summary:

This paper explains why the death penalty is a violation of fundamental human rights. It discusses some of the the international treaties against the death penalty. The author also explores its application against children, the mentally retarded and others in countries around the world including the United States.

Outline:
Why the Death Penalty is a Violation of Human Rights?
International Treaties Regarding the Death Penalty
Application of the Death Penalty against Children
Death Penalty for Mentally Retarded & Mentally Ill
Conclusion
References

From the Paper:

"In the United States too, the U.S. Supreme Court by a majority decision on March 1, 2005 in Roper v. Simmons held that death penalty for juveniles was "cruel and unusual" and as such the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution forbid the execution of offenders who were under the age of 18 when their crimes were committed. (Richey, 2005) The Supreme Court decision has effectively stopped child executions in the USA which had executed more child offenders (a total of 19) than any other country between 1990 and 2003. ("Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty," 2006) The Amnesty International reports that there were four executions of child offenders in 2004 - one in China and three in Iran--and eight child offenders were executed in 2005, all of them in Iran."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Death Penalty Defies International Human Rights Standards." Amnesty International: USA. [accessed April 13, 2006]. Available online from <http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/international_h_r_standards.html>
• "Death penalty for minors: Cruel and unusual." (2004). American Medical News. [accessed April 13, 2006]. Available online from <http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?scid=38&did=884#amn>
• "Facts and Figures on the Death Penalty." (2006). Amnesty International. [accessed April 13, 2006]. Available online from <http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-facts-eng>
• Malone, Dan. (2006). "Cruel and Inhumane: Executing the Mentally Ill." Amnesty International: USA. [accessed April 13, 2006]. Available online from <http://www.amnestyusa.org/magazine/cruel_and_inhumane_executing_the_mentally_ill.html>
• "Mental Retardation" (2006). Death Penalty - Fact Sheets Amnesty International-USA. [accessed April 13, 2006]. Available online from <http://www.amnestyusa.org/abolish/mental_retardation.html>

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