Unpacking the Death Penalty in ASEAN

This edited book explores the Asian perspectives on punishment, justice, and human rights, discussing the justifications for the use of capital punishment in the ASEAN region, the secrecy, sensitivities, and dilemmas surrounding violations of international human rights laws, and the impact of growing authoritarianism and the media on public perception and support for capital punishment. It is a landmark collection in criminology and human rights scholarship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 177 pages
Publication date: 21 March 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This book makes a significant conceptual, theoretical, and moral contribution to a deeper understanding of the distinctive Asian perspectives on punishment, justice, and human rights. Conducted by scholars who have not only been conducting research on the death penalty in the region but have also been advocating for legal reforms, this edited book explores the various justifications for the use of capital punishment in the ASEAN region, shedding light on the secrecy, sensitivities, and dilemmas that mask violations of international human rights laws. The chapters introduce numerous new perspectives that have been overlooked in the traditional discourse surrounding the use of the death penalty, such as those related to crimes that do not meet the threshold of "most serious"; the dignity of death row inmates and their families; contradictions within religion and capital punishment; and the ways in which growing authoritarianism and the media are adversely influencing the public's perception and support for capital punishment in the region. By examining how public opinion shapes state policies towards the death penalty and how it varies according to different offenses and different states, the authors critically analyze how the international human rights mechanisms have specifically called for ASEAN member states to refrain from extending the application of the death penalty and to limit it to the "most serious crimes." This book is of relevance to socio-legal scholars focused on crime and punishment in Southeast Asia and in the Global South more broadly. It represents a landmark collection in criminology and human rights scholarship. Chapter ASEAN and the Death Penalty: Theoretical and Legal Views and a Pathway to Abolition is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Weight: 465g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811988394
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023