Capital punishment was adopted in most countries until the 19th century. Following international trends, more than half the world does not retain the death penalty any longer. On the contrary, there are still several developed countries which retain the death penalty; this includes the United States and Japan. In Britain, hanging was the principal form of execution from Anglo-Saxon times until the death penalty was abolished in 1964. Some people believe that capital punishment should be abolished because it is unjustifiable to take a human life under any circumstances. Others believe that people who commit serious crimes deserve death penalty.
The death penalty is applied as a maximum penalty by the law in modern society. It is the harshest sentence against crime, especially homicide. Some people's crimes are so dreadful that they truly deserve to be punished. Murderers deserve to die because they have taken away other people’s right to live.