Capital punishment, death penalty or execution is considered as the infliction of death

upon a person by judicial process as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that result in
a death penalty are known as capital crimes. Death penalties are enforced on people
who have performed profound malpractices and crimes.

In ancient times, the death penalties were more of a torture than that of punishments.
The methods were torturous, and it would strain the body of the culprit in such a way
that the pain would lead to their death.

Traditional methods of death penalties included devouring by animals like being thrown
away to the lions, alligators or death by snake bites. Back-breaking was an ancient
method of execution that avoided spilling of blood on the ground. Crucifixion was also a
standard method of execution in the past which involved nailing the person to a cross
and allowing it to perish.

Suffocating the criminal by carbon monoxide poisoning was also another method of
execution. It was performed by burning coal inside a sealed room where the criminal
would ultimately choke to death. Modern techniques are much quicker and less painful
than the traditional methods of execution. Modern means of death penalties involve
electrocution where the criminal is tied to the chair, and a high voltage current is passed
through his body which can ultimately kill him. It mainly causes the failure of the heart.

Tranquilization or lethal injection is a method that gives the person a slow but painless
death. It takes quite long for the criminal to die. The toxins in the injections act slowly
and cause the slow death of the criminal. Hanging the criminal is the most common
method of execution in recent times. The criminal is hung till death.

Another form of the death penalty in recent times is the shooting method where the
culprit is shot in the head or the chest, which causes immediate death. In the Arabian
and the Gulf Countries, the beheading method is used as the death penalty for the
criminals. Beheading is decided based on the crime committed. It is a painful method
where the head is cut off from the culprit’s body.

The role of public opinion and collective conscience plays a vital role in the imposition of
death penalties in many countries. The punishment must befit the crime so that the
court reflects the public abhorrence of the crime. The court must consider both the
rights of the criminal as well as the rights of the victim and society at large while
deciding the mode of execution.

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