IELTS Writing Task 2: Society — Discuss Both Views Sample Answer

Capital punishment remains one of the most contentious issues in criminal justice policy, dividing opinion along lines that reflect deep differences in values regarding justice, deterrence, and human dignity. Examining both perspectives reveals why this debate shows little sign of resolution.

Supporters of capital punishment argue primarily that it protects society by permanently eliminating dangerous offenders and deters potential criminals through the ultimate sanction. Some jurisdictions that retain the death penalty — including several American states and Singapore — point to low homicide rates as circumstantial evidence of deterrent effect. Advocates also argue that for crimes of exceptional severity, such as genocide or the murder of children, proportionality demands a response equal to the gravity of the offence, and that life imprisonment does not provide adequate retributive justice for victims' families.

Those who oppose capital punishment present several powerful objections. First, the deterrence argument lacks robust empirical support: comparative studies consistently find no significant difference in violent crime rates between jurisdictions that retain and those that have abolished the death penalty. Second, the irreversible nature of execution is unconscionable given the documented risk of wrongful conviction — the Innocence Project in the United States has exonerated over 190 death row inmates using DNA evidence. Third, most democracies now regard state-sanctioned killing as a fundamental violation of human rights regardless of the offender's crime, a position endorsed by the United Nations.

In my view, the combination of demonstrated fallibility in the justice system and the absence of credible deterrent evidence makes capital punishment impossible to justify. Life imprisonment without parole provides appropriate protection for society without the irreversible injustice of execution.