Death Penalty or capital punishment as is more widely referred to in Moral Philosophy.

The case of  Teresa Lewis brings to mind the debate about capital punishment that has raged on for centuries.The Human race has evolved from primitive societies to sophisticated systems of governance and this has been possible because of the careful applications of the principles of moral philosophy to the way the society is organised.  A system of punishment is definitely of paramount importance in keeping law and order in all modern communities.The death penalty is only one of such and critics of this have said it conflicts with human rights. To those I say, all are given fair warning that they jeopardise their own rights by intentionally engaging in taking the lives of their fellow citizens.  The families and loved ones of victims who talk of closure are only seeking retribution and this would be a weak argument for death penalty. The main justifications for capital punishment are deterrence and protection of the society from further abuse. To those who oppose capital punishment on the ground that judicial mistakes could not be compensated for after execution, I say this is a price the society has to pay and this is no more than sending soldiers to die in war fronts. In any case the judicial system can be continously reviewed for improvement. Finally to those who say death penalty has not deterred people, I say placing murderers in prisons that look like holiday resorts has not either. They are better removed permanently so they can be of no danger to any citizens including fellow inmates and prison warders. Being a Woman or a grandmother is of no consequence either. If the courts say she is guilty we have to uphold the law.