1. Capital Punishment zWhat is it? zWhat does the history of this issue in Canada consist of? zWhere does the Catholic Church stand? zQuestions?

2. A Formal Definition zCapital Punishment (or the “death penalty”) can be formally defined as a sentence awarded as a consequence to capital offences committed. zThis sentence is commonly awarded to those considered to pose great danger to society in which death would be an appropriate punishment.

3. The History of Capital Punishment zSince the introduction of capital punishment, there have been a total of 710 deaths by hanging in Canada zIn 1914, the first private bill requesting the abolishment of the death penalty was enacted zThe first major debate regarding the abolishment of capital punishment did not come until 1966 in the House of Commons zThe federal government passed Bill C-168 setting particular restrictions on the death penalty as an appropriate means of consequence

4. The History of Capital Punishment zIn July 1976, the House of Commons passed Bill C-84, removing capital punishment altogether from the Criminal Code in Canada; it was then replaced with a mandatory 25 years to life without parole for all counts of first degree murder zIn 1987, the issue of capital punishment was re-examined, but the vote in favour of not reinstating the penalty was 148 to 127 zIn 1998, all references to capital punishment in the Criminal Code of Canada were destroyed

5. Controversy Abroad zIn recent decades, Canada was completely opposed to any form of capital punishment zUp until recently, the federal government of Canada also maintained a tradition of asking for clemency for Canadians who faced the death penalty in other countries zHowever, the controversy occurred in 2007 when Stephen Harper and the Conservative Government established minor changes in procedure zPublic Safety Minister, Stockwell Day, claimed that Canada “would not actively pursue” the issue and any Canadians on death row “who have been tried in a democratic country that supports rule of law” would not necessarily be assisted in their return

6. Example zRonald Allen Smith was a Canadian man who was put on death row, facing lethal injection, for killing 2 Aboriginal men who offered him a ride while hitchhiking in 1982 in Montana zAmnesty International looked harshly upon this situation, accusing the Canadian Government of having “gone soft” when it came to opposition to the death penalty zIn March 2009, the Federal Court of Canada established that the government was required to take all reasonable steps to convincing the Montana government to abolish the sentence in order for Smith’s return zThe federal government of Canada ultimately decided to withdraw its support for Smith, claiming that it was all in the duty of fairness

7. Decades of Abolition zIt was commonly believed by those who supported the death penalty that after getting rid of capital punishment, the number of first degree homicides would rise zHowever, in the years following 1976, the general rate of homicide, although continually varying, was downwards zIn 1995, the homicide rate hit the lowest it had been in 30 years zIn 1998, the rate hit 1.9 per 100,000 people, the lowest rate seen since the 1960’s zThe rate that did rise was the number of first degree convictions that were issued; certainly Canadian juries were more lenient in giving out these convictions due to the fact that the consequences were not necessarily a matter of life or death

8. Decades of Abolition zSince the time that the Canadian government got rid of capital punishment, a minimum of 6 Canadian prisoners have been released on grounds of innocence and false incarceration that were initially convicted of first degree murder zTwo of these prisoners were incarcerated for more than 10 years before their innocence was proven and they were released z20 years ago, they would have been executed if Canada had chosen to keep the death penalty as an appropriate means of consequence zAs of the year 2000, there have been no debates as to whether or not to reinstate capital punishment

9. Where Does the Church Stand? zIn the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 3 “Social Justice” it claims: y1934 Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity

10. Where Does the Church Stand? zCapital Punishment is a direct breach of the Fifth Commandment, “Thou shall not kill.” zRespect for Human Life y2259 In the account of Abel’s murder by his brother Cain, Scripture reveals the presence of anger and envy in man, consequences of original sin, from the beginning of human history. Man has become the enemy of his fellow man. God declares the wickedness of this fratricide: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”

11. Where Does the Church Stand? z2260 The covenant between God and mankind is interwoven with reminders of God’s gift of human life and man’s murderous violence yFor your lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning...Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in his own image. zIntentional Homicide y2268 The fifth commandment forbids direct and intentional killing as gravely sinful. The murderer and those who cooperate voluntarily in murder commit a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance.

12. Questions zIs capital punishment in any way moral? Is it morally correct to punish someone with similar means as to what they committed in the first place? zWhat are your thoughts on replacing capital punishment with 25 years to life without parole in the Criminal Code of Canada?