The Gallows to the Gurney: Analyzing the (Un)Constitutionality of the Methods of Execution

The objective of this article is to examine this issue by formulating an analytical framework for determining when methods of execution constitute cruel and unusual punishment. This task is accomplished Part II by briefly tracing the historical evolution of the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unus...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Harding, Roberta M. (Author)
Format: Electronic Book
Language:English
Published: 1996
In:Year: 1996
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
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Summary:The objective of this article is to examine this issue by formulating an analytical framework for determining when methods of execution constitute cruel and unusual punishment. This task is accomplished Part II by briefly tracing the historical evolution of the Eighth Amendment's Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause. Part III examines the prohibition's core components. Part IV reviews the traditional and modem interpretations of cruel and unusual punishment as applied to the methods of capital punishment, and assesses the standard with which to determine whether a specific method of execution comports with the present interpretation of cruel and unusual punishment as it is used in the context of capital punishment. The crux of this article explores and develops the qualitative, or subjective, facet of the Cruel and Unusual Punishments Clause, concluding that such a standard offers the best test for determining whether a method of execution is constitutional