The Death Penalty's Denial of Fundamental Human Rights by John Bessler

The Death Penalty's Denial of Fundamental Human Rights by John Bessler

The Death Penalty's Denial of Fundamental Human Rights details how capital punishment violates universal human rights-to life; to be free from torture and other forms of cruelty; to be treated in a non-arbitrary, non-discriminatory manner; and to dignity. In tracing the evolution of the world's understanding of torture, which now absolutely prohibits physical and psychological torture, the book argues that an immutable characteristic of capital punishment-already outlawed in many countries and American states-is that it makes use of death threats. Mock executions and other credible death threats, in fact, have long been treated as torturous acts. When crime victims are threatened with death and are helpless to prevent their deaths, for example, courts routinely find such threats inflict psychological torture. With simulated executions and non-lethal corporal punishments already prohibited as torturous acts, death sentences and real executions, the book contends, must be classified as torturous acts, too.

John Bessler teaches at the University of Baltimore School of Law and the Georgetown University Law Center.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781108845571
ISBN 10	1108845576
Title	The Death Penalty's Denial of Fundamental Human Rights
Author	John Bessler
Series	Asil Studies In International Legal Theory
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	2022-12-15
Number of pages	400
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.