The Application of Death Penalty: Ethical and Legal Dimensions: The European Value Framework

Despite the growing global trend towards abolition of the death penalty, several countries worldwide still retain it and impose executions at an alarming rate, even to people who were under 18 years of age when the crime was committed, or to people who suffer from mental and intellectual disabilities. At the same time, several other countries apply the death penalty after unfair trials -in clear violation of international law and standards. The execution methods around the world today include beheading, electrocution, hanging, shooting, as well as lethal injection, which is regarded as 'painless death'. This paper analyses the ethical and legal dimensions concerning the application of death penalty and strives to demonstrate the necessity of further restraining its implementation. This is suggested through the European perception on death penalty, a 'soft power' element that can be distributed worldwide in a collaborative manner. In a further approach, this work can potentially assist professionals such as judges, lawyers, and doctors in ethical dilemmas which they may be faced with in their line of work.