Execution (legal)
From Freepedia
Image:Death Penalty World Map.png Image:Execution 1877.jpg
Execution is the killing of a convicted criminal as a deliberate legalact. It is usually a formal act, and is often done either under law or with quasi-legal justifications given. Execution can be legal, if preceded by a judicial process or in accordance with appropriate law (see capital punishment), or illegal, such as killing of hostages. Because of this, in controversial contexts, one person's 'execution' is often another persons unjustified murder.
Formal military executions are typically by firing squad (for violations of orders in wartime or the laws of war) or by hanging (typically for cowardice, or commission of atrocities or other crimes).
Methods of execution which involve, or have the potential to involve, a great deal of pain or mutilation are considered to be torture and unacceptable to many who support capital punishment. Some of these, if halted soon enough, may not have fatal effects.
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Execution through history
- From 600 BC through the 20th Century crucifixion has been used as a method of execution.
- The headman's axe was used in Germany and England in the 16th and 17th Centuries.
- The French Revolution is famous for its pioneering of the guillotine.
Related topics
Books
- Geoffrey Abbott - Execution: A Guide to Ultimate Penalty (2004)
External links
- Before the Needles, Executions in America Before Lethal Injection, Details of thousands of historic executions and lynchings
- Account of an execution
- Full execution Tapes
Civil law
In the context of civil law, execution is the process of enforcing a judgment for money damages. Processes available for execution include garnishment, attachment, and levy.
