title: Introduction: international perspectives on the death penalty
abstract: For most of human history, the death penalty has been the norm, rather than the exception, in response to the most serious crimes. It is only in recent times that capital punishment has found itself on the defensive-criticized and virtually abandoned by the majority of countries around the world. Despite its long history, capital punishment is now being rejected in law and in practice at an accelerated pace. The growing number of abolitionist countries and the international pressure exerted on r
journal: Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks