Capital punishment is when the death penalty is carried out to punish a crime. In 1865, Capital punishment was used in the event of murder, treason, and rape in Upper and Lower Canada. In 1961 there was a clear line drawn between different types of murder, and the types that merited capital punishment were: premeditated murder, and murder of an officer, guard, or warden on duty. The mandatory sentence for capital punishment was declared to be hanging. In 1962, the last people were executed in Canada. In 1966, premeditated murder was no longer grounds for capital punishment, and 1976, when capital punishment was removed from the Canadian Criminal Code, 710 people had been executed. It was replaced with a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years for first degree murders.

I would assume that if the events of “Two Fishermen” took place in Canada, it would be between 1920 and 1960 because during the story, the use of automobiles has already become commonplace, but capital punishment for premeditated murder is still a thing that exists.

I do not believe that Thomas Delaney should have been killed for his actions. In fact, I don’t believe ANYONE should be killed for their actions, however I do believe that many people do not deserve a life based on their actions. Thomas Delaney should not have been killed because of the circumstances in which he killed, and capital punishment doesn’t really solve anything, and it isn’t really a “punishment”. The circumstance in which Thomas Delaney killed, was one where it was out of revenge for his violated wife. He should certainly be punished severely for killing another man, and his reaction is not justified at all, but it is completely understandable why he did it. Capital punishment also doesn’t really fix the fact that he killed someone. I also don’t see how it brings any more closure to the relatives/friends of the victim than a life sentence does. Is executing Thomas Delaney going to bring the other guy (who happens to be a rapist) back to life? Then why bother? Just put him in a cell for the rest of his days. Capital punishment is also a bit of an oxymoron because the name implies that it is the most serious and grandiose a punishment that could possibly be doled out in a court of law, but really it is a non-punishment. You are taking away the opportunity of the perpetrator of ever feeling any remorse or suffering any consequences for his actions by taking his literal life away. Perhaps a more fitting sentence, that would be a REAL punishment would be to FIGURATIVELY take his life away. As in, high-security solitary confinement without much human contact. There he would have time to reflect on what he has done, while also achieving the goals of keeping the streets safe and giving closure to the relatives/friends of the victim.

The gallows, usually the location where the capital punishment of hanging occurs.

sources
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/capital-punishment-in-canada-1.795391
http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/crime/a/cappuntimeline.htm

Proofread by Radu H