Capital punishment / compiled and written by Ivan Potas and John Walker.

Canberra : Australian Institute of Criminology, 1987.

17578

Capital punishment -- Australia.

This report is the third in the series on Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice produced by the research division of the Australian Institute of Criminology. This Institute is often questioned - by the media, politicians and the public - upon the pros and cons of capital punishment; clearly, public interest in this issue has not abated despite its abolition. This continuing public discussion on capital punishment should occur in the context of the facts concerning the use of the death penalty in Australia and in overseas countries. To this end, the Institute presents material which we believe will encourage informed debate on an issue which has too often been discussed in a highly emotive manner. The term 'capital punishment' is derived from the Latin caput, meaning 'head'. It originally referred to death by decapitation, but now applies generally to state sanctioned executions. Some Middle East countries still practise decapitation for certain offences, but more common forms of the death penalty include electrocution, gas, firing squad, lethal injection and hanging. - Abstract.

"February 1987."

Includes bibliographical references.

0817-8542

6 pages ; 30 cm