The death penalty, or capital punishment, is a thorny issue which can divide the best of friends. It is a topic of debate that allows for no indecision; you are either for it or against it. There can be no grey areas when discussing a human life.

There are those that believe that the death penalty is a deterrent, acting as the strongest posssible warning for those who err on the wrong side of the law. To some extent this is true but there are extenuating factors which can drive the most stable minds to murder. There are others who believe that capital punishment is a question of economy - it is cheaper to use capital punishment instead of life in prison. Some argue that no one has the right to put a price on a human life.

People on the other side of the fence argue that capital punishment is uncivilised and that leaders in the West should lead the emerging democratic nations by example. There are people who also argue that the death penalty is just as expensive as life imprisonment when you take into account legal fees and the back log of appeals and which clog up local legal systems.

Tell us where you stand.