Capital punishment is a death penalty for people who had done wrong things such as murder, treason and rape. It has existed for a long time. One of the earliest recorded executions in Canada came in 1749 in newly-founded Halifax. A sailor named Peter Cartcel killed a man and was tried before a general court. He was quickly found guilty and hanged two days later. In 1967, a government bill to apply mandatory life imprisonment in all murder cases, except when the victim was an on-duty police officer or prison guard.

Thomas was hanged because he killed Mathew, who raped his wife. Before capital punishment was abolished, if you kill someone in Canada you would also be hanged.

Thomas should not have been killed because hanging someone to show that killing is not allowed does not make sense. Since killing is bad, why is he being hanged? Killing is not the only way to punish someone, there are a lot more ways to punish. In addition, he was just trying to get revenge but he just did it in a wrong way. If he did not kill Mathew, then the hangman would have hanged a wrong person. Punishing someone by killing then is not the best way to punish them.

Person being hanged. (Photo provided by Death Penalty News)