THE DEATH PENALTY AND DETERRENCE: AN OMANI PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Some philosophers have confused the objectives of punishment with its nature, or defined punishment at least partially in terms of its supposed aims. This can be misleading; by including in its definition those aims of which one approves, one can refuse to allow the behaviour that has another aim to be called punishment, even though such behaviour is quite generally considered to be a form of punishment. Therefore, it is better to consider the aims of punishment separately from its nature (Hood, 1996). This paper begins with a critical examination of the justification of punishment and moral philosophical arguments for and against the death penalty, including the concept of deterrence. The paper then explores in depth the history of the death penalty, with particular emphasis on its developments not only in Western countries but also in other countries world-wide, including Oman. It afterwards presents an analytical investigation of recent drugs offences statistics in Oman. Finally’ it proposes a number of recommendations concerning the law enforcement which are deemed necessary in Oman regarding the death penalty’ hoping that these recommendations would be considered in future review of the law.