An essay on death penalty can highlight the changes in law that took place towards abolition of capital punishment. If has often been debated that the death penalty cannot be a solution to problems existing in society.  Capital punishment was abolished in the United Kingdom in the twentieth century with the last death penalty taking place in 1964. In 1969, capital punishment was abolished for murder in Great Britain while it Northern Ireland adapted to it in 1973. The European Convention on Human Rights prohibited capital punishment on May 20, 1998, and finally on Nov. 09, 1998, the death penalty was done away with. Immediately afterwards, the UK implemented the directive. The consequences of not doing so meant that it would have to withdraw from the Council of Europe. The rule put to rest the debate of whether a state had the moral duty to apply the death penalty.

A capital punishment essay can explore the hotly debated question as to whether it is morally correct for a state to impose capital punishment and execute people. Though it is usually imposed when serious crimes involving murder is proved without doubt, some countries consider drug peddling, treason, rape, and adultery as capital crimes. An essay writing exercise would establish that the feeling among people that capital punishment should be abolished is very strong. Amnesty International has on December 2009 reported that 58 countries still retained capital punishment in their judicial systems. The move to abolish it has been gathering momentum over the years and on Dec. 18, 2008 the United Nations adopted a resolution asking the world to freeze execution and finally abolish it.