Oxford LibGuides: Criminal law &amp; justice: Death Penalty

Capital Punishment/ Death Penalty: monitoring and moving towards abolition

UN Human Rights Committee (CCPR) Death Penalty
Section of official website
A Review of the Progressive Development of International Human Rights Framework on Capital Punishment
Open access Online research guide (2022) by Dr. Paul O. Ogendi University of Nairobi, School of Law.
Death Penalty (Amnesty International)
Official website
Death Penalty Project
"The Death Penalty Project is an international legal action charity based at Simons Muirhead & Burton LLP. We use the law to protect prisoners facing execution and achieve fairer and more humane justice systems."
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (USA)
Death Penalty Information Center (USA)
Free resource The DPIC "is a national non-profit organization serving the media and the public with analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment ... [prepares] in-depth reports, [conducts] briefings for journalists, and ... releases an annual report on the death penalty, highlighting significant developments and featuring the latest statistics. The Center also produces groundbreaking reports on various issues related to the death penalty such as arbitrariness, costs, innocence, and race. We offer a wide variety of multimedia resources, such as our free, online educational curricula and our podcast series, DPIC on the Issues."

Subject searches to use in SOLO

Capital punishment

Capital punishment -- Philosophy
Capital punishment -- Moral and ethical aspects
Discrimination in capital punishment

Deadly Justice : a statistical portrait of the death penalty by Frank Baumgartner; Marty Davidson; Kaneesha Johnson; Arvind Krishnamurthy; Colin Wilson
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this book online via title link
ISBN: 9780190841546
Publication Date: 2017
Reference copy at Crim 640 B348b
Copies in Social Science Library at KF9227.C2.BAU 2018 and Vere Harmsworth KF 9227 .C2 B39 2018
Deconstructing the Death Penalty Derrida's seminars and the new abolitionism by Kelly Oliver (and other editors and contributors)
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this via title link
ISBN: 9780823280100
Publication Date: 2018
End of Its Rope : how killing the death penalty can revive criminal justice by Brandon L. Garrett
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this online via title link.
ISBN: 9780674970991
Publication Date: 2017
Print copy is at Crim 640 G239.5a
The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law by William A. Schabas
Call Number: Holders of an Oxford SSO can read this online via title link.
ISBN: 0521893445
Publication Date: (3rd edn, 2002)
Print copy in Law Bod is at Internat 570 S291a3
Another copy in SSL

DP International Norms

Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to Abolish the Death Penalty
English version on OAS official website. OAS, TREATY SERIES, No. 73 Also links to table of status details
ICCPR: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Open Access On website of OHCHR read online or download pdf. EIF 23 March 1976, except art.; 28 March 1979 for the provisions of article 41 (Human Rights Committee).
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Article 6
1. Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.

2. In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgement rendered by a competent court.

3. When deprivation of life constitutes the crime of genocide, it is understood that nothing in this article shall authorize any State Party to the present Covenant to derogate in any way from any obligation assumed under the provisions of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

4. Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases.

5. Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below eighteen years of age and shall not be carried out on pregnant women.

6. Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the abolition of capital punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant.
Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty
Approved by UN Economic and Social Council resolution 1984/50 of 25 May 1984
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty
Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 44/128 of 15 December 1989

At various times subsequently (2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013) the UN General Assembly has issued Moratoriums encouraging member states to respect international standards that protect the rights of those facing the death penalty, to progressively restrict its use and reduce the number of offences which are punishable by death. This practice continues.

Moratorium on the use of the death penalty : draft resolution (2016)
A/C.3/71/L.27