One of the more arduous, repetitive and indeed controversial political debates currently is that of the death penalty's restoration. Having not seen an execution for fifty years, recent high-profile crimes such as the murder of Lee Rigby have sparked some support for reintroduction of capital punishment. In fact, Ukip MEP Louise Bours stoked the discussions last week by hinting that Ukip may be in support of the re-introduction.
With an issue like this, there are always strong feelings on either side. Those in favour of reintroduction say it will mean the worst of criminals pay the ultimate price, the families of the victims will get 'closure' and it will stop tax-payers funding criminals' prison life.
However, it isn't that simple. How are we supposed to teach lessons to criminals if we kill them for their crimes? They won't suffer, they're dead. Is it not the ultimate hypocrisy of the justice system to punish killing by killing? Should we not deter society from killing by never using it to solve problems? It's also short-sighted to assume that victims' families want the death penalty reintroduced too, with many speaking out against the penalty.
The death penalty is not even a sufficient deterrent of crime. The UK's homicide rate is 18 times lower than the United States, where they do utilise execution. It's not even cost-effective to kill violent criminals either, a common misconception is that the death penalty is cheaper than keeping criminals in prison for life - but it isn't. In the United States, those sentenced to death can end up costing the tax-payer four times as much as those given lifetime incarceration. Those on death row often appeal and can end up waiting for execution for up to twenty years, which hardly solves the prison overpopulation problem either.
And just what are we to do if a jury reaches an incorrect verdict and innocent man or woman is charged with murder and subsequently put to death? Do we then send the executioner to death for what would be the killing of an innocent person? Do we kill the jury too? These cases, although rare do happen - it only takes one instance for this potential law to be thrown in to disrepute.
As far as Ukip goes, Louise Bours support for this motion's reintroduction reeks of right-wing populism. She's probably just testing the waters to see if they can ram this in to their manifesto for later this year. Either that, or they hate the EU that much that they simply cannot stand that the organisation opposes the death penalty too. In reality, the death penalty is expensive, labourious, hypocritical and barbaric. Journeying back to a bygone era where brutality was an acceptable resolution is not the answer, as is shown by the USA's higher crime rate. I don't think it's wrong to feel vengeful in situations like these. Of course, those supporting the death penalty have a point - these people don't deserve to live whilst their victims don't. Financially, the death penalty isn't beneficial - let the criminals suffer in prison, their life can still be taken away from them without death.