Four of the contemporary practitioners of the death penalty in Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, performed judicial executions on a regular basis between the years 1975 and 2009. Notwithstanding this similarity, the number of death sentences passed by courts that were subsequently reduced to a term of imprisonment through grants of clemency by the executive (or where the prisoner sentenced to death is exonerated by way of a pardon) varied remarkably between these jurisdictions over this 35-year period: some of these countries commuted the sentences of death row prisoners often, others rarely. In this DPhil thesis, I employ the methodology of comparative criminal justice to explore the discrepancies and similarities in capital clemency practice between these four Southeast Asian jurisdictions, seeking to document the known examples of clemency grants over the course of their modern history, and to investigate the reasons why retentionist countries exercise clemency at vastly different ‘rates’ in finalised capital cases. As clemency and pardon deliberations by the executive are usually performed in secret, academic study of the subject has remained scarce, and the suspected reasons behind death sentence commutations, and their relative frequency, are rarely analysed. My inductive, qualitative study in comparative criminal justice will attempt to address these deficiencies in analysis as they apply to four Southeast Asian countries that continue to practice capital punishment as a form of criminal sanction. Moving beyond Amnesty International’s simplistic observation that ‘nowhere in Asia has the ready availability of such clemency been marked’, I examine the intricacies of the clemency practice in each jurisdiction, and arrive at regional trends and patterns.

The aim of this thesis is to define, what is the position of right to life in the system of protection of human rights and whether is the death penalty a justifiable institute in international human rights law. The thesis focuses on the death penalty and its history in connection with the right to life as an inherent human right. It explores the conventions, protocols and resolutions that are related to the matter. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, whereas first of them is introduction, where the author asks questions about vindicability of the capital punishment. That is followed by a brief history of the death penalty and explanation of the purpose of the punishment. Following chapter looks into a view of international society on the death penalty, summing up views of international governmental organizations, as well as non- governmental. Fundamental part of the thesis is a chapter disserting on the right to life, its history, where we can find right to life in international law, interpretation of right to life and case law. Last chapter deals with an issue of a crime as an act of forfeiting the right to life. The analysis consists of criticizing the conclusions made in the course of the thesis and propositions of further possibilities.

The diploma thesis deals with the selected aspects of the dilemma of the basic human right according to Declaration of Basic Rights, paragraph 6. It focuses mainly on controversial themes such as euthanasia, abortion and death penalty. It provides readers with the definition of the conflict of these three perspectives with breaking the right to life. It shows historical development of the enactment in the Czech Republic and also in the international context. Last but not least, it describes the attitude of selected states (namely Germany, USA and China) to the solution of conflict relations within this area. The attitude of other states is foreshadowed in terms of euthanasia and abortion.

Les avocats chinois d'aujourd'hui sont à la croisée des chemins, tiraillés entre une culture juridique inquisitoriale et un système de procédure qui se veut contradictoire ; entre les traditions juridiques chinoises toujours vivaces et le nouveau droit importé florissant ; et enfin, entre le monopole traditionnel de l'intérêt collectif et la reconnaissance de plus en plus grande de l'individu dans la société actuelle. Dans l'ancienne société chinoise où le système clanique et holiste tolère peu la notion de l'individu, la profession de Songshi, maître du procès, n'a jamais pu vivre sous le soleil. Pour la même raison, la profession d'avocat a subi le même sort pendant la période communiste pure et dure de la Chine. Aujourd'hui, la suprématie de l'intérêt collectif au détriment de l'intérêt de l'individu continue à engendrer pour l'avocat des risques professionnels particulièrement lourds à supporter, surtout quand l'avocat se tient en première ligne devant son client, pour affronter le procureur. Le conflit est poussé à l'extrême en ce qui concerne la défense pénale contre une accusation passible de la peine capitale, où l'avocat atteint le sommet de la noblesse de son ministère, tout en s'exposant le plus au danger face au Parquet. Pourquoi la société chinoise accorde--t--elle si peu de place à l'individu ? Pourquoi, en dépit du droit chinois érigé sur le modèle des grands codes européens, l'individu n'obtient--il toujours pas une place aussi légitime que dans les sociétés occidentales ? Et si la réponse se trouvait au plus profond de la société chinoise et de la mentalité juridique du peuple chinois ? / Chinese lawyers today are at a crossroads, torn between an inquisitorial legal culture and a procedural system which aims contradictory ; between Chinese legal traditions still alive and thriving imported new law, and finally, between the traditional monopoly of the public interest and recognition of more and more of the individuals in today society. In ancient Chinese society, where clan and holistic system tolerate little notion of the individual, the Songshi's profession, trial's master, was never able to live under the sun. For the same reason, the lawyer's profession had suffered the same fate during China's rough communist period. Today, the supremacy of the public interest at the expense of individual's interests continues to lead the lawyer on heavy professional hazards, especially when the lawyer stands in the front line for his client to face the prosecutor. The conflict is pushed to the extreme regarding criminal defence against a charge punishable by death, where the lawyer reached the top of the nobility of his ministry, while exposing the most danger, facing Parquet. Why does Chinese society leave so little room for the individual? Why, despite the Chinese law being modelled on the greatest European codes, individuals don't seem to gain a place as legitimate as in European societies ? What was, is and will be the relationship between the individual and the collective in a Chinese society ?

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If we accept the existence evil and evil people in the world, should we punish them? If so, to what extend? Are we obligated to take an evil person's life and if so, how far does our obligation go? Our inquiry begins with a look into the justifications of capital punishment through three philosophical theories: Locke's Deterrence Theory, Kant's Retributivist Theory, and Matthew Kramer's Purgative Rationale Theory. Next we will look at the economic weight of the U.S. capital punishment system. Lastly, should we accept an obligation to the death penalty, we will discuss whether or not the economic burden is worth our commitment. Our discussion will lead to a synergy of the two, one that reduces the economic burden while providing a richer purpose to capital punishment than merely killing criminals.

本篇論文以雨果《一個死囚的末日》及門田隆將《與絕望奮鬥》二書為研究核心，對照死囚與被害人的心路歷程，探索死刑的意義與價值。藉由雨果的小說，分析法國十九世紀斷頭臺的本意、監獄的情境及死囚在行刑前所遭受的各種身心折磨痛苦，並發掘作家以文學的筆醞觸動感性的省思。其次透過二十一世紀日本門田隆將就真實事件的報導，瞭解謀殺案件中痛失妻女的被害人處境，思索死刑對被害人及其家屬的重要性。雨果對死囚的人道關懷，與門田隆將對被害人家屬長達九年的關注，雖然出發點不同，都呈現了對生命的尊重，然而對於死刑，則持截然不同的立場，這是因時代觀念不同，抑或是東西方文化的差異？值得我們研究、剖析。 死刑制度的存在歷史悠久，至今國際潮流已趨向廢除。死刑犯的人權保障與被害人的保護非不相容，實可並行不悖。雨果絕對無條件的摒棄死刑，與被害人家屬極力爭取死刑處罰犯人的奮鬥，兩者不同層面的切入，期可拓展探討死刑議題的視野。 / This thesis is a study of Victor Hugo’s The Last Day of a Condemned Man and Ryucho Kadota’s Fight against Despair. By contrasting the mentality of a man condemned to death and that of the family of murder victims, the thesis takes these works as a basis for reflecting on the meaning and value of the death penalty. The study looks at the nature of the guillotine in the nineteenth century, the prison environment and the physical and mental sufferings of a person condemned to death. Hugo’s writing on this topic stimulates a sensitive reflection on the death penalty. Ryucho Kudata’s account of a real event from the twenty-first century, however, provides an opportunity to understand the situation of the family of murder victims and leads us to reconsider the death penalty from their point of view. Hugo’s humanitarian concern for the condemned and Ryucho’s attention to a victim’s family over a period of nine years both show their respect for life despite their very different ideas and points of view about the death penalty. The death penalty has been around for a long time, though by now it has been abolished in most countries. In fact, protection of the human rights of criminals should not be seen as being incompatible with protection of the rights of victims and their families; the two can be reconciled. Hugo’s desire to abolish the death penalty unconditionally and absolutely had a great impact on France, yet the struggle of a victim who seeks the punishment of an offender through the use of the death penalty cannot be ignored. Both angles are helpful in exploring the issue of the death penalty.

一個國家發生大規模國家暴力之後，檢討相關人員的責任，向來是重要的轉型正義議題，可是這個議題在台灣因為多種原因，長期被忽略。長達三十八年的戒嚴期間，上萬人因叛亂、匪諜嫌疑被捕、遭判重刑，至少八百人失去生命。在這種官僚式壓迫的體系中，檢討相關人員責任前，須先了解當初他們在暴力行動的參與中如何做出決定。本文藉由判決書檔案，探索並評析軍事法官如何針對政治案件進行判案，並且將人民判處死刑。從中發現幾項事實，可供未來檢討這些法官刑事與道德責任之基礎。法官的判決與論述中，除了曾經出現違法的情形外，亦不乏相同犯罪事實，判決標準不一致，以及違反人權精神等例證。另一方面，確實也曾經出現較為人道的判決。這些事實顯示當時法官擁有裁量權，選擇空間是存在無疑的。從而，部分選擇剝奪人民生命的法官，可能面臨道德上更大的非難。 / As massive state violence subsides, the issue of holding those who carried out such violence into account has always been an important concern. Yet due to numerous reasons, such issue has been long ignored in Taiwan. During the 38-year-long martial law period, tens of thousands of citizens were arrested and severely condemned on charges of subversion or espionage. In such bureaucratic oppressive regime, the decision-making process should be studied prior to the discussion of responsibility. By studying the verdicts, this thesis focuses on exploring and analyzing how death sentences were made by military judges. The results show that not only illegal verdicts have ever occurred, but also the inconsistencies between verdicts with similar criminal facts, as well as examples in violation of human rights spirit. On the other hand, there were indeed some cases where the judges ruled more humanely. In all, these facts demonstrate that the judges did have powers of dicretion, and room for choice undoubtedly existed. Hence, the acts of certain judges, who under the same circumstances chose nevertheless to deprive lives of certain citizens, may seem to be more morally reproachable.

VIEIRA, Jofre Teófilo. Uma trágedia em três partes: o motim dos pretos da Laura em 1839. 2010. 302 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em História) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Departamento de História, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História Social, Fortaleza-CE, 2010. / Submitted by Raul Oliveira (raulcmo@hotmail.com) on 2012-06-27T12:22:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_JTVieira.pdf: 3322223 bytes, checksum: fedd93248e1c6fb3a252ff48e2f9bf56 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Josineide Góis(josineide@ufc.br) on 2012-06-27T13:09:03Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_JTVieira.pdf: 3322223 bytes, checksum: fedd93248e1c6fb3a252ff48e2f9bf56 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-27T13:09:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2010_Dis_JTVieira.pdf: 3322223 bytes, checksum: fedd93248e1c6fb3a252ff48e2f9bf56 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / On the 12th of June, 1839, a number of slaves on board the brig-schooner Laura Segunda, which had earlier left Pernambuco en-route to Maranhão, mutinied off the coast of Ceará, killing six people: the captain; the boatswain; the pilot; two of the sailors and a passenger. After landing on the beach at Iguape, the slaves were captured and nine of them charged and taken to be prosecuted in Fortaleza, where six were sentenced to death, one to life imprisonment with forced-labour, yet another to being whipped and forced to go around in irons, and the last acquitted. The trials were summary in nature, demonstrating the need for a prompt and exemplary punishment of those responsible for the "horrendous attack". The present research aims to examine the mutiny and the various events which surrounded the negro slaves on board the Laura. To this end we propose examining the system of cabotage shipping carried out between the North and Northeast of Brazil, in particular that from Pará to Pernambuco, in an attempt to understand the work environment of the slave-sailors on the Laura Segunda. In addition, we wish to investigate and detail the various movements which occurred during the 1830s and which fostered a climate of political and social instability in Brazil, paving the way for various acts of rebellion by the slaves, of which the mutiny on the Laura Segunda was one. The memory of the mutiny and the events surrounding the negros on board the Laura remained alive in Fortaleza for some considerable time. We plan to arrive at an appreciation of the meaning of these events and how they were appropriated by Ceará society, and in particular by the slaves. / Em 12 de junho de 1839, alguns dos cativos a bordo do brigue-escuna Laura Segunda, que partiu do Maranhão para Pernambuco, realizaram um motim nas costas do litoral do Ceará e assassinaram seis pessoas, o capitão, o contramestre, o prático, dois marujos e um passageiro. Depois de desembarcar na praia do Iguape, os escravos foram presos e, dentre eles, nove foram acusados e levados a julgamento em Fortaleza, onde seis foram condenados à pena de morte, um a galés perpétuas, outro a açoites e andar com ferros, e o último absolvido. O julgamento ocorreu de forma sumária, indicando a necessidade de se punirem rápida e exemplarmente os responsáveis por aquele “horroroso atentado”. A pesquisa pretende analisar o motim e os eventos que envolveram os pretos da Laura. Para isso, se propõe a examinar a navegação de cabotagem realizada entre o Norte e o Nordeste do Brasil, em especial do Pará a Pernambuco, para se entender o mundo do trabalho em que estavam inseridos os marinheiros cativos do Laura Segunda. Além disso, busca-se compreender e relacionar os diversos movimentos realizados durante a década de 1830, que fomentaram um clima de grande instabilidade política e social no Brasil e permitiram o aparecimento de alguns atos de rebeldia produzidos pela escravaria. O motim no Laura Segunda foi um deles. As memórias do motim e dos eventos que envolveram os pretos da Laura ficaram vivas na capital cearense durante bastante tempo. Desta forma, procura-se compreender quais os seus significados e apropriações pela sociedade cearense, em especial o grupo dos cativos.