Koukla M.
j82kukla@law.omsu.omskreg.ru
It becomes obvious that Governments concentrate their attention on international relations, that is effective only in case if they do not ignore internal problems. The preference for international cares become more and more apparent regarding to the USA. They take part in most of international and internal conflicts in the world, but it could be understood - they try to establish themselves as a world leader and ensure American system of values. The main contradiction is that humanism is the base of this system and interfering in conflicts US usually appeal to its main principles, but the legislation of US contain a lot of rules that does not coincide with it and the most important of them is death penalty.
The abolition of death penalty is one of the most discussed problems in contemporary criminal law. Some of the countries, such as members of Council of Europe prohibited death penalty as a sort of punishment, some of the countries interrupted its realization and assignment, but the Federal government of the US keeps death penalty in inhuman and uncivilized forms √ an electric chair was proved to be one of the most cruel and painful way of executing, besides, US apply death penalty to minors. These things seem really strange even for countries, strongly criticized by US, it corresponds the situation described in Russian proverb to notice a speck in other's eye and to ignore a log in your own eye, that mean noticing all the imperfection in other's considering yourself perfect. The main arguments of supporters of keeping of death penalty are: death penalty threatens possible criminals and it corresponds the social image of justice. Talking about justice one cannot help mentioning the probability of executing innocent people, the admission of such a thing for the sack of revenge to the criminal does not suit the morden level of the development of the society. Researches showed, that the existence of death penalty doesn't influence much the rate of crimes. Influencing people's mind in order to stop violence would be more effective then surveying punishments.
Death penalty in Russia was abolished for several times that was caused by different political and social reasons and now my country is on the way of its' final abolition: the rate of death penalty assignments in 1997 was ten times lower then thirty years before, and after entering Council of Europe the executions were stopped. I should mention that the Criminal Code of Russia does not even foresee the death penalty to women, and men under 18 and over 65. Besides, the capital punishment in 97% was commute for life sentences or 25 years of prison. So it is hard to deny that in this question Russia is more progressive then US, isn't it a point for reforms?
Only in case US would respect humane rights themselves, they could get an incontestable right to proclaim themselves as a world leader in this sphere.
(c) 1999
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| See also: CASUS: Death Penalty in the Russian Federation | ||
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