NCJ Number
170888
Journal
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: (November 1997) Pages: 393-405
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Hong Kong experienced a wave of armed robberies between 1989 and 1993; even though several calls were made for using capital punishment as a deterrent, a legislative motion in favor of the death penalty in 1991 was defeated and instead the legislative majority voted to abolish the death penalty.
Abstract
The rise in armed robberies resulted in legislative concern about falling standards of public security. This provided an opportunity for an advocate of the death penalty to introduce debate on the topic. Early in the debate, however, an amendment was put forward that called for abolishing the death penalty. The irony was that the vote to abolish the death penalty was put in motion by legislative reactions to the rise in serious, violent, and firearm-related offenses. Because Hong Kong ceased to be a British colony and instead became a Special Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China in July 1997, the death penalty may be reintroduced since China favors capital punishment. Nonetheless, because the symbolic role of the death penalty was dramatically changed during the course of its abolition, any attempt to reintroduce it may have to contend with highly negative public attitudes. 10 notes, and 2 tables