Wed, 21 Jan 2004

Ban urged for child executions

I must say that I'm generally not in favor of capital punishment, but for reasons other than those proposed in the report by Amnesty here. This does not mean that I oppose this kind of sentence in all cases: I don't. It does mean that the ultimate punishment should not be meted out willy-nilly for every petty crime. It means that I would only support it's imposition in absolutely the most heinous of proven crimes.

I also think that the bar needs to be lower than 18 here: there's a huge difference between a six year old who kills a playmate with whatever malice or motive, and a 17 year old convicted of his third "drive-by" shooting murder in three years.

But more disturbingly, I think this report shows the backside of sentencing guideline: as it too would deprive a judge (or jury) of their right to impose a sentence based on individual circumstances and issues. This has always been a cornerstone of democracy, and it disturbs me greatly to see it being whittled away from whatever angle.

Amnesty International pushes for a ban on the execution of child offenders in the US and worldwide.

(link) [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

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