Would you support the reintroduction of the death penalty?

Ahhhh for forks sake!

Lately I'm reading news threads on Facebook and more and more I'm seeing remarks such as "hang him", "kill him", "burn him". I thought we were a modern society where no one would yearn for the return of the gallows.

Is it something you'd welcome? Would you like to see the gallows room reintroduced in Ireland?

I for one, would NOT. There's too high a chance of a wrongful conviction or a person lying in court.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

No, but I'd like Life to mean life in some circumstances.

The Backwards Man

Yes, but only for proponents of public polls.

Johnnycanyon

Maurice Riordan wrote: »

Lately I'm reading news threads on Facebook and more and more I'm seeing remarks such as "hang him", "kill him", "burn him". I thought we were a modern society where no one would yearn for the return of the gallows.

Is it something you'd welcome? Would you like to see the gallows room reintroduced in Ireland?

I for one, would NOT. There's too high a chance of a wrongful conviction or a person lying in court.

No absolutely not,it's a barbaric act but I do believe life in prison should mean life..

o1s1n

No as I don't want to live in a country where I can be executed by the state.

TheValeyard

Damon Nutritious Physician wrote: »

No, but I'd like Life to mean life in some circumstances.

This sums it up nicely.



Capital Punishment is barbaric. A civilised society should have no need for it.

JJayoo

No because this is Ireland and it would take about 10 years and cost a few million for each one.

I would rather if we could subtract our prisons to Russia, send all criminals out there and we could pay for their upkeep

Hector Bellend

didnt work the first time. wont work again

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Bitches Be Trypsin

No, I believe that as humans we should have the right to life, if nothing else.

ancapailldorcha

No. Absolutely not. The state should not have the power to legally kill people under its care. I'm not counting the likes of police officers shooting terrorists and such for obvious reasons.

It baffles me that people think that this is a good idea. For one thing, it isn't a deterrent. For another, it's bloody expensive to execute people. Finally, it will result in innocent people being killed. It's murder plain and simple.

gerrybbadd

Yes, although I couldn't be the executioner.

Yes. This is a country that is very soft on crime.

For very serious offenses, bring it back in. Multiple benefits. It would act as a deterrent and would cost the state an absolute fortune. Keeping a prisoner costs huge money each year. Lock them up for life (a real life term) and the cost is astronomical

Hitman3000

No, because its usually those unable to pay for a robust defence that find themselves on death row.

Hitman3000

gerrybbadd wrote:

For very serious offenses, bring it back in. Multiple benefits. It would act as a deterrent and would cost the state an absolute fortune. Keeping a prisoner costs huge money each year. Lock them up for life (a real life term) and the cost is astronomical

The death penalty exists in many parts of the world, if it were a deterrent there would be nobody on death row in the countries that use it.

ceadaoin.

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Yes. This is a country that is very soft on crime.

For very serious offenses, bring it back in. Multiple benefits. It would act as a deterrent and would cost the state an absolute fortune. Keeping a prisoner costs huge money each year. Lock them up for life (a real life term) and the cost is astronomical

It not a deterrent at all. If that was the case then US states with the death penalty would have lower murder rates, but they dont. It still costs a fortune to house prisoners and also put them through the multiple appeals processes that are mandated.

super_furry

The Birmingham Six, The Guildford Four and countless other innocent people would be dead if the death penalty was available. You can’t undo a death sentence.

Sleeper12

Definitely not.

The judge at the trial of the Gilford four said if the death penalty was an option open for him he'd sentence them all to death. We all know how that ended up

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Yes. This is a country that is very soft on crime.

For very serious offenses, bring it back in. Multiple benefits. It would act as a deterrent and would cost the state an absolute fortune. Keeping a prisoner costs huge money each year. Lock them up for life (a real life term) and the cost is astronomical

It hasn't proven to be a deterrent elsewhere. There are over 2900 currently on death row in the US and their murder rate is one of the highest in the world. Plus, it's estimated that 4.1% of those on death row have been wrongly convicted.

EPAndlee

Yes but only if we can bring the guillotine back

Butcher Boy

Yes, although I couldn't be the executioner.

EPAndlee wrote: »

Yes but only if we can bring the guillotine back

yes ,chop chop.

CrankyHaus

In the US states that still allow it executions are a costly, interminably drawn out process that appear to do nothing to deter crime and occasionally may kill the wrong person. In Ireland we executed Harry Gleeson after he was framed so there's no reason to believe we'd do better.

Simply giving adequate prison sentences, with some commonsense innovations like consecutive sentences for career criminals and electronic tagging of repeat offenders on bail and suspended sentences, would do plenty to curb crime.

sdanseo

No. I don't agree with the death penalty at all.

I clicked the second option in error, don't support it. It's all too easy for someone to be wrongly convicted.

If it was a perfect world where there was no possibility of miscarriages of justice, I would agree with it as a deterrent for capital murder, and perhaps a few other heinous crimes. But such a utopian error free society is laughable.

On a more practical level, the justice system is broken. Needs to be fixed to give better deterrent but also to rehabilitate and that requires more than just a visit from a social worker. There need to be housing / job supports there after people are released etc which there aren't and it's why we have such high occurences of low-level assault / public order / theft / general scumbaggery type crime. No deterrent.

RobertKK

No, it would mean we would have to leave the EU since it is banned in the EU.

RiderOnTheStorm

I am really torn on this one. On one hand I agree with the death penalty, in very limited cases. The punishment should fit the crime, and some crimes are so heinous that execution is justified.

On the other hand, I don't think Irish bureaucracy could implement, run and maintain it. I have same feelings about nuclear energy and arming all gardai. They cant even keep vehicles in running order for emergency services

Johnnycanyon

I posted earlier that capital punishment was barbaric and should never be allowed, and I firmly believe this..But imagine if one of your family was murdered in a most horrendous fashion would you like to see the perpetrator executed??

stimpson

Johnnycanyon wrote: »

I posted earlier that capital punishment was barbaric and should never be allowed, and I firmly believe this..But imagine if one of your family was murdered in a most horrendous fashion would you like to see the perpetrator executed??

Surely a person who had a family member murdered is not likely to be level headed in such a decision.

It’s a hard no from me in any circumstance.

Bob Harris

Murray TheDemonic TalkingSkull wrote: »

This sums it up nicely.



Capital Punishment is barbaric. A civilised society should have no need for it.

Unfortunately not all members of society are civilised.

Panthro

Bring back chain gangs. 16 hour days building roads for us lot. Make prison as undesirable as possible

suicide_circus

No.

The state can't even roll out something as simple as water charges. How could you think it has the competence to execute people?

Hitman3000

suicide_circus wrote:

The state can't even roll out something as simple as water charges. How could you think it has the competence to execute people?

This is the fourth thread I have seen today where the topic of the thread had nothing to do with water charges but yet they still were referenced. The Irish version of Godwins Law methinks.

Dr_serious2

There was a time when I had sympathy for the idea but not anymore.

I have no sympathy for certain criminals, particularly murderers of women, children or the elderly and it's not on moral grounds that I wouldn't want them executed.

However I don't trust the government, or the judiciary, to decide who lives or dies. Look at what a mess they have made of things over the years. The Garda scandals would erode your confidence too.

Anyone who still thinks the death penalty is a good idea should read about Harry Gleeson.

Paddy Cow

In theory I think there are people who have committed crimes so heinous that I wouldn't shed a tear if they were sentenced to death. However, in practice I don't believe in it. One innocent person sentenced to death is one too many. A pardon granted posthumously does fcuk all to rectify that level of miscarriage of justice.

I would support tougher sentences though. I was reading a case in the UK yesterday about a guy who got sentenced to 13 yrs for murdering a woman and he got released in half that. Sentences like that are a joke.

suicide_circus

Hitman3000 wrote: »

This is the fourth thread I have seen today where the topic of the thread had nothing to do with water charges but yet they still were referenced. The Irish version of Godwins Law methinks.

No way, you won't pay

Capt'n Midnight

Where the option for
Yes, I'd be the executioner myself , on the condition that I'd be executed myself if new evidence proves the person I killed was innocent all along.

emeraldwinter

Has the republic ever had the death penalty ?

Get Real

emeraldwinter wrote: »

Has the republic ever had the death penalty ?

Up until 1990 it was still in law yes. The last person to be sentenced to death was in 1985. However this sentence was commuted to a prison sentence as the death penalty was abolished in 1990.

As far as I'm aware (open to correction on this) the last person to be executed was in 1954. Michael Manning. (He raped and murdered a 65 year old woman and admitted to doing it saying he didn't know what had come over him )

Omackeral

Hitman3000 wrote: »

This is the fourth thread I have seen today where the topic of the thread had nothing to do with water charges but yet they still were referenced. The Irish version of Godwins Law methinks.

Nah our version when it comes to law and order is Garlic Man.

Hitman3000

suicide_circus wrote:

No way, you won't pay

Taxs my off topic friend. I pay loads.

murpho999

No.

A civilised country should not be in the business of killing people.

Our society is supposed to be better than that and raise above mob rule.

Delighted that Irish people voted this down by 62% to 38% in 2002 and that should be the end of it.

There is no need for it, does not act as a deterrent and mistakes cannot be rectified.

Also, posters having a go at Ireland, saying that could not implement it or comparing it to Irish Water are really talking rubbish.

It would be a sentence carried out as a part of the justice system like jail and is not just an administration issue.

kumate_champ07

yes, but only up to 12 weeks

368100

No. I don't agree with the death penalty at all.

Its an easy way out, the only people that will suffer are the family of the prisoner.

For the offences that might warrant a death penalty its only just that they have to live with their crime on their conscience (assuming they have one)

Hitman3000

kumate_champ07 wrote:

yes, but only up to 12 weeks

Oh ffs, is there not enough threads dedicated to that topic?

blanch152

Get Real wrote: »

Up until 1990 it was still in law yes. The last person to be sentenced to death was in 1985. However this sentence was commuted to a prison sentence as the death penalty was abolished in 1990.

As far as I'm aware (open to correction on this) the last person to be executed was in 1954. Michael Manning. (He raped and murdered a 65 year old woman and admitted to doing it saying he didn't know what had come over him )

Nowadays he would have been assessed as to his mental state, and may have ended up in Dundrum for the rest of his life.

Road-Hog

Against death penalty, a life sentence meaning ‘life’ i.e staying in jail until you die is as much time if not more torturous for the criminals than putting them out of their misery via lethal injection, firing squad, guilotine or noose around the neck....?

Omackeral

kumate_champ07 wrote: »

yes, but only up to 12 weeks

Hitman3000 wrote: »

Oh ffs, is there not enough threads dedicated to that topic?

I found that very clever actually!

salmocab

I wouldn’t but that said there are criminals that deserve it, I wouldn’t trust any state to make those decisions though. There should certainly be tougher sentences for any type of violent crime.

Road-Hog

Omackeral wrote: »

I found that very clever actually!

Yer man graham Dwyer would come to mind as someone you would like wiped away via the death penalty but keeping such an abomination of a human being behind bars until he dies is probably more torturous for him...?

Gorgeousgeorge

Yes, although I couldn't be the executioner.

Dr_serious2 wrote: »

There was a time when I had sympathy for the idea but not anymore.

I have no sympathy for certain criminals, particularly murderers of women, children or the elderly and it's not on moral grounds that I wouldn't want them executed.

However I don't trust the government, or the judiciary, to decide who lives or dies. Look at what a mess they have made of things over the years. The Garda scandals would erode your confidence too.

Anyone who still thinks the death penalty is a good idea should read about Harry Gleeson.

Poor man was set up. And only recently was his sentence overturned i think.

ligerdub

I'm against the death penalty in almost every instance.

However, I do think there are elements of very rare exceptions where the guilty party is obvious, the crime is of extreme severity, and particularly when the situation in the location is one of an serious emergency, bordering on a warlike state. There are also very rare examples where people are evil almost beyond belief. In summary, if the person is an enemy of the state and is an active danger to people at large then I believe there is a case for them to be executed. There is a tipping point in my opinion where a person can become such an extreme danger that it almost becomes a less damaging act to execute the guilty party.

There are many examples in history (not in this country) where a person has an almost fundamental inability to stop their urge to harm others or exploit a lack of defences for their own personal gain at the severe cost of others. For clarity, I wouldn't ever recommend such a punishment for vindictive or "let 'em fry" type gore tactics, purely from a sad almost reluctance to do so for public safety reasons. It would also be an extremely rare recommendation, in this country maybe countable on one hand over the last 60 years.

I'm not talking about the Harry Gleeson's here, I'm talking more along the lines of the Tim McVeigh, Peter Sutcliffe, Fred West, Ted Bundy, Hitler. These are obviously sick, disturbed individuals guilty of almost incomparable crimes, and there was almost nothing their victims could have done to save themselves. It's an entirely different situation to somebody of questionable guilt and who might have committed a crime in anger and to a very specific person as a result (I'm not defending that, but it doesn't suggest they are a danger to anybody else). These severely dangerous guys are a severe danger to others so long as they are alive, especially so when the people involved have a habit of breaking out of prison.

It always goes back to the United States on pretty much anything like this, but the US executes a minuscule amount of people compared to China. They also execute fewer people per capita than Iran (significantly so) and Saudi Arabia. Iran and Saudi Arabia have a lower murder rate per capita than the United States. The United States isn't within an asses roar of being among the highest per capita murder rate nations in the world, they are comfortably middle of the road in that regard. The biggest proponent of capital punishment in the world is China, and their murder rate is one of the lowest in the world. There seems no pattern between capital punishment and the homicide rate, so people looking to use it as an example of a deterrent or otherwise to committing serious crime appears unreasonable. That being said, a deterrent is not the only reason for its existence.

The examples of highly dangerous people seem (and indeed are) extremely unlikely in a country such as Ireland, but it is not beyond comprehension. We have one of the lowest rates of murder per capita for any country on the planet, so whatever we are doing I'm grateful we don't seem to have a pressing need to solve a homicide problem.

jaxxx

When I was younger, less wiser and more attractive, I did used to believe in the death penalty. But now I don't. And that is because of one reason and one reason only: death is not a punishment.

Justice should be about punishment. I say should be because in reality justice is all but extinct with crooked judges, police, etc but condemning someone to die is letting them off easy. Death is an eventuality that happens to everything. It is the one thing that is shared by all forms of life. But not only life. Stars die. Planets die. Yet in that, comes the true meaning of punishment... time. Time is both infinite and finite. Infinite in terms of the universe, finite in terms of an individual. As a form of life, the only true thing we possess is time.

And from that comes the one true form of punishment. Forcing someone to spend their limited time behind the confines of a prison is that true punishment. Taking away what limited time they possess, where is the punishment in that? But controlling where and how their time is spent, that is the true punishment. Letting them spend the remainder of their lives behind walls, taking away their freedom, taking away the simple pleasures in life.

That is why I no longer believe in the death penalty and why it should be banned worldwide. Because it is not a punishment. It is an easy way out.

freshpopcorn

No!
The past week confirmed it for me with people online saying they'd send somebody to prison when there was no evidence if they were on a jury.