This book is an updated and reworked version of the thesis which was submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Laws (LLD) in the Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria.

In recent years the death penalty has sharply declined across Africa, but this trend belies actual public opinion and the retributivist sentiments held by political elites. This study explains capital punishment in Africa in terms of culturally specific notions of life and death as well as the colonial-era imposition of criminal and penal policy.

Human development is not simply about wealth and economic well-being, it is also dependent upon shared values that cherish the sanctity of human life. Using comparative methods, archival research and quantitative findings, this book explores the historical and cultural background of the death penalty in Africa, analysing the law and practice of the death penalty under European and Asian laws in Africa before independence. Showing progressive attitudes to punishment rooted in both traditional and modern concepts of human dignity, Aimé Muyoboke Karimunda assesses the ground on which the death penalty is retained today. Providing a full and balanced appraisal of the arguments, the book presents a clear and compelling case for the total abolition of the death penalty throughout Africa. This book is essential reading for human rights lawyers, legal anthropologists, historians, political analysts and anyone else interested in promoting democracy and the protection of fundamental human rights in Africa.

This is the 2002 third edition of William A. Schabas's highly praised study of the abolition of the death penalty in international law. Extensively revised to take account of developments in the field since publication of the second edition in 1997, the book details the progress of the international community away from the use of capital punishment, discussing in detail the abolition of the death penalty within the United Nations human rights system, international humanitarian law, European human rights law and Inter-American human rights law. New chapters in the third edition address capital punishment in African human rights law and in international criminal law. An extensive list of appendices contains many of the essential documents for the study of capital punishment in international law. The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law is introduced with a Foreword by Judge Gilbert Guillaume, President of the International Court of Justice.

This book is about an African philosophical examination of the death penalty debate. In a 21st century world where the notion of human right is primed, this book considers the question of the death penalty in two sub-Saharan African countries namely, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, notorious for their poor human right records. This edited collection comprises of 11 essays from Zimbabwean and Nigerian philosophers. As opinions continue to divide over the retention or abolition of the death penalty, these African philosophers attempt to localise this debate by raising the following questions: What is the meaning of life in the African place? Is it proper to take the human life under any guise at all? Who has the right to take the human life? Can the death penalty be jutified on the bases of African cultures? Why should it be abolished? Why should it be retained? Indeed, this book is the first of its kind to engage the tumultuous issue of capital punishment in the postcolonial Africa and from the African philosophical point of view.

This collection of essays in honour of Frans Viljoen shines a light on the increasingly important place of compliance in international law. With essays from leading scholars in the field of international human rights law, this festschrift provides compelling analysis of the nature of compliance in the African human rights context, the challenges that affect its place in these legal systems, and the ways in which increased compliance can be achieved. The volume is divided into three parts exploring: theoretical perspectives, thematic perspectives, and institutional perspectives. Each in turn helps to build a picture of theory and practice charting the historic developments of human rights law with several case studies to illustrate. Contributors provide detailed comparison with other national legal systems, such as the Inter-American IACHR and Court, placing these reflections in their global comparative context. The work concludes by considering the ways in which challenges can be overcome to achieve increased compliance with international human rights law in Africa. Compliance with International Human Rights Law in Africa is not only a work to honour the contributions of Frans Viljoen but is also an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers, in the field of international human rights law.

Offers the first-ever comprehensive treatment under international law of the foundational human right to life.

The Elgar Companion to Capital Punishment and Society presents a multidisciplinary overview of capital punishment’s influences, processes and outcomes across society. A global range of philosophers, social scientists, legal experts, political theorists and historians critically analyse the trajectory of the death penalty in both retentionist and abolitionist countries, underscoring how state killing remains a crucial issue worldwide.

M. Cherif Bassiouni / Human rights and international criminal justice in the twenty first century : the end of the post-WWII phase and the beginning of an uncertain new era -- Thomas A. Cromwell and Bruno Gélinas-Faucher, William Schabas / The Canadian Charter of rights and freedoms, and international human rights law -- Emmanuel Decaux / The International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, as a victim-oriented treaty --Kathleen Cavanaugh and Joshua Castellino / The politics of sectarianism and its reflection in questions of international law & state formation in The Middle East -- Sandra L. Babcock / International law and the death penalty : a toothless tiger, or a meaningful force for change? -- Marc Bossuyt / The UN optional protocol on the abolition of the death penalty --Christof Heyns and Thomas Probert and Tess Borden / The right to life and the progressive abolition of the death penalty -- Zhao Bingzhi / Progress and trend of the reform of the death penalty in China -- Margaret M. DeGuzman / Criminal law philosophy in international criminal law scholarship -- Frédéric Mégret / Is the ICC focusing too much on non-state actors? -- Shane Darcy / The principle of legality at the crossroads of human rights and international criminal law -- Alain Pellet / Revisiting the sources of applicable law before the ICC -- Mireille Delmas-Marty / The ICC as a work in progress, for a world in process -- Carsten Stahn / Legacy in international criminal justice -- Andrew Clapham and Paola Gaeta / Torture by private actors and 'gold plating' the offence in national law : an exchange of emails in honour of William Schabas -- Hirad Abtahi and Philippa Webb / Secrets and surprises in the Travaux préparatoires of the genocide convention -- Jérémie Gilbert / Perspectives on cultural genocide : from criminal law to cultural diversity -- Beth Van Schaack / Crimes against humanity : repairing Title 18's blind spots -- Leila Nadya Sadat / A new global treaty on crimes against humanity : future prospects -- Mark A. Drumbl / Justice outside of criminal courtrooms and jailhouses -- Charles Chernor Jalloh / Toward greater synergy between courts and truth commissions in post-conflict contexts : lessons from Sierra Leone -- Geoffrey Nice and Nevenka Tromp / Criminal trial as a tool to control historical narrative -- Mary Ellen O'Connell / The arc toward justice and peace -- Adama Dieng / The maintenance of international peace and security through prevention of atrocity crimes : the question of co-operation between the UN and regional arrangements -- Emma Sandon / Law and film : curating rights cinema -- Wayne Jordash / The role of advocates in developing international law -- Diane Marie Amann / Bill the blogger

This book offers a broad overview of public attitudes to the death penalty in India. It examines in detail the progress made by international organizations worldwide in their efforts to abolish the death penalty and provides statistics from various countries that have already abolished it. The book focuses on four main aspects: the excessive cost and poor use of funds; wrongful executions of innocent people; the death penalty’s failure as an efficient deterrent; and the alternative sentence of life imprisonment without parole. In closing, the book analyses the current debates on capital punishment around the globe and in the Indian context. Based on public opinion surveys, the book is essential reading for all those interested in India, its government, criminal justice system, and policies on the death penalty and human rights.