Friends Do Not Let Friends Execute: The Council of Europe and the International Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty

The Death Penalty and Democracy

“…Abolition would also reduce tensions between Japan and its international peers, especially the rich and democratic countries of Europe, which frequently complain about Japan's unwillingness to regard capital punishment as a human rights issue. 43 And the disappearance of the death penalty would permit Japan to avoid claims of hypocrisy when it criticizes countries such as China and North Korea for their human rights failures. In the long run, the abolition of capital punishment in Japan could even change the nation's self-conception, from that of a country and culture that are ambivalent about state killing ("no" to war but "yes" to capital punishment) to one that stands consistently in support of life.…”

The Culture of Capital Punishment in Japan

“…In Taiwan, where the number of executions dropped dramatically as the country democratized but where executions have rebounded in recent years, death is not different as a matter of law or practice, and major mistakes have been made in the administration of capital punishment-including the wrongful execution of an innocent man (Chiang Kuo-ching), which Taiwan's government acknowledged in 2011. 43 And in the People's Republic of China, the world's biggest user of capital punishment, debate about the death penalty has deepened in recent years, yet its death penalty system remains shrouded in secrecy, including a prohibition on disclosing how many executions are performed each year. 44 The Karenina principle suggests that success at abolishing capital punishment requires avoiding many separate causes of failure.…”

“…And all the while I was in the "field," about 30 prosecutors' offices across the country have created "conviction integrity units" (CIUs) to review wrongful conviction claims. 43 Of the 166 exonerations that occurred in America in 2016, 70 came from CIUs. One of the first CIUs was created in Dallas in 2007 under Craig Watkins, an African-American District Attorney who grew concerned about the alarming number of miscarriages of justice that had been revealed in his jurisdiction.…”

“…One cause of this surge in abolition is the emergence of a "human rights dynamic" that recognizes capital punishment as a denial of the universal human rights to life and to freedom from cruel and inhuman punishment. 43 The fate of capital punishment in countries that retain it will be shaped by the ongoing battle between two competing frames. Is the death penalty a matter of human rights?…”

“…48-66. 43 Roger Hood and Carolyn Hoyle, "Abolishing the Death Penalty Worldwide: The Impact of a 'New Dynamic'", Crime and Justice, Vol. 38, No.…”