The Contemporary Debate on Capital Punishment – with Special Regard to that in Hungary

Toth, Zoltan J.

Abstract

The present paper deals with the contemporary controversy on the issue of death penalty, concentrating primarily on three aspects of the general debate on the matter. The goal of the article is to cover the arguments and counterarguments that have emerged today amidst the discussion on these topics. In order to achieve this goal, the present paper, after a short theoretical introduction, analyses the arguments of this debate in three separate chapters based on three distinct topics since an unintentional misunderstanding and deliberate misconceptions stem primarily from the fact that abolitionists and retentionists tend to talk alongside each other. Hence, the present article reviews three selected matters of the capital punishment controversy (humanity, necessity/death penalty vs. life imprisonment, and serving the purpose of punishment) separately. Presenting the idea in such a manner can, hopefully, clear the different standpoints and make it possible to reach a mutual understanding (albeit not agreement with each other). Due to the lack of space and for rationality considerations, this article does not cover other, also very important, matters (e.g. deterrent effect, miscarriage of justice, financial, and other aspects).

Keywords

capital punishment (1)humanity or inhumanity of executions (1)role of life imprisonment (1)abolitionist and retentionist argumentation (1)

References

Antal S., Nagy L.T., Solt A., Az eletfogytig tartó szabadsagvesztes empirikus vizsgalata [Empi- rical investigation on real life imprisonment], "Kriminológiai Tanulmanyok" ["Crimi- nological Papers"] 2009, 46, pp. 54-94. [Google Scholar]
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Ehrlich I., The Deterrent Effect of Criminal Law Enforcement, "Journal of Legal Studies" 1972, 1, pp. 259-276. [Google Scholar]
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APA style

Toth, Zoltan J. (2018). The Contemporary Debate on Capital Punishment – with Special Regard to that in Hungary. (2018). The Contemporary Debate on Capital Punishment – with Special Regard to that in Hungary. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, 10(3), 136-158. https://doi.org/10.7206/kp.2080-1084.234 (Original work published 2018)

MLA style

Toth, Zoltan J.. “The Contemporary Debate On Capital Punishment – With Special Regard To That In Hungary”. 2018. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, vol. 10, no. 3, 2018, pp. 136-158.

Chicago style

Toth, Zoltan J.. “The Contemporary Debate On Capital Punishment – With Special Regard To That In Hungary”. Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne Studia Nad Prawem, Krytyka Prawa. Niezależne studia nad prawem, 10, no. 3 (2018): 136-158. doi:10.7206/kp.2080-1084.234.

Copyright info

CC-BY-NC-ND

[1] Antal S., Nagy L.T., Solt A., Az eletfogytig tartó szabadsagvesztes empirikus vizsgalata [Empi- rical investigation on real life imprisonment], "Kriminológiai Tanulmanyok" ["Crimi- nological Papers"] 2009, 46, pp. 54-94. [Google Scholar]

[2] Amsterdam A.G., Capital Punishment, [in:] H.A. Bedau (ed.), The Death Penalty in America, Oxford 1982, pp. 346-358. [Google Scholar]

[3] Balas E., A halalbuntetesr6l [On Capital Punishment], Budapest 1900. [Google Scholar]

[4] Beccaria C., An Essay On Crimes and Punishments [1764], e-book, [in:] http://files.liber- tyfund.org/files/2193/Beccaria_1476_EBk_v6.0.pdf, Indianapolis, IN 2011. [Google Scholar]

[5] Borg M.J., Radelet M.L., On botched executions, [in:] P. Hodgkinson, W. Schabas (eds.), Capital Punishment. Strategies for abolition, Cambridge 2004, pp. 143-168. [Google Scholar]

[6] Ehrlich I., On Positive Methodology, Ethics, and Polemics in Deterrence Research, "British Journal of Criminology" 1982, 22, pp. 124-139. [Google Scholar]

[7] Ehrlich I., The Deterrent Effect of Criminal Law Enforcement, "Journal of Legal Studies" 1972, 1, pp. 259-276. [Google Scholar]

[8] Erwin G., Recidivism among Homicide Offenders, "Forum on Corrections Research" 1992, 4(2). Foldvari J., Kriminalpolitika, [Criminal politics], Budapest 1987. [Google Scholar]

[9] Geller B., A tenyleges eletfogytig tartó szabadsagvesztes - buntet6jog-elmeleti meggondolasok tukreben [The Actual Life Imprisonment - in the Light of Criminal Law Considerations], [in:] M. Hollan, T.A. Barabas, A negyedik magyar buntet6kódex [The fourth Hungarian Penal Code], Budapest 2017, pp. 87-108. [Google Scholar]

[10] Gibbs J.P., Preventive Effect of Capital Punishment other than Deterrence, [in:] H.A. Bedau (ed.), The Death Penalty in America, Oxford 1982, pp. 103-116. [Google Scholar]

[11] Hajnal L.G., Bitófa nelkul [Without Gallows], "Bortoniigyi Szemle" 1997, 3, pp. 91-108. Hohmann O., Is the State Allowed to Kill? Thoughts on the Occasion that Capital Punishment Becomes Topical, "Hungarian Law" 2000, 12, p. 763-766. [Google Scholar]

[12] Marquis J.K., Truth and Consequences: The Penalty of Death, [in:] H.A. Bedau, P.G. Cassell (eds.), Debating the Death Penalty, Oxford-New York 2004, pp. 117-151. [Google Scholar]

[13] Murray R., Execution Is Inhumane, [in:] M.E. Williams (ed.), Capital Punishment: Current Controversies, Farmington Hills, MI 2005, pp. 57-61. [Google Scholar]

[14] Nagy F., Gondolatok az eletfogytig tartó szabadsagvesztesr6l [Thoughts on Real Life Imprison- ment], "Magyar Jog" 2013, 5, pp. 265-271. [Google Scholar]

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