By: Breanna Payne, Laura Ellis & Jeffrey Scrogum Draconian Law By: Breanna Payne, Laura Ellis & Jeffrey Scrogum

What is Draconian Law? Draco was the first legislator of ancient Athens, around 622 B.C.E. Draconian Law said that the punishment for almost every single crime was death. When questioned on his cruelty, he said that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones. Draconian Law was made because nobles were changing the punishments for each crime based on what they considered correct. After Draco made them, the codified laws were posted for everyone to see. The punishment for almost every offense was death. From stealing to homicide, he believed they almost always deserved death.

Why Is Draconian Law Bad? It orders people to be killed. The punishment for almost every offense was death. The laws were written in “blood” for everyone to see. Basically Draconian Law was made by Draco, an ancient Greek legislator, who wrote a set of laws (“in blood”) that were posted for everyone to see. The punishment for almost every offense was death. From stealing to homicide, he believed they almost always deserved death.

Examples of Draconian Law Stealing an apple from an orchard would result in death. Any debtor whose status was lower than that of his creditor was forced into slavery. The death penalty was the punishment for even minor offenses.

Draconian Law Now According to the article “Living Under the Shadow of Draconian Law”, this strict form of discipline is still used today. “Rights activists say that militants have carried out torture, killings, indiscriminately used bombs and land mines, engaged in forced recruitment, and conducted widespread extortion. At the same time, the Indian government has failed to curb abuses by its own security forces, and extrajudicial executions and torture of detainees, particularly suspected militants and their supporters, remains common”

We're against Draconian Law because.... Punishments are strict and way too harsh for the petty crimes that were committed. Killing family members effects the whole family. For instance, killing a father could leave a family homeless and starving. People don’t deserve to be killed. They try to make people fear them. Making people fear you puts them in a constant state of panic or worry.

References http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/living-under-the-shadow-of-draconian-law/?searchterm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draco_(lawgiver) http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html /The_Story_of_the_Greatest_Nations_and_the_Worlds _Famous_Events_Vol_1/whatisd_bei.html http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi