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6 Crim. Behav. & Mental Health 3 (1996)

handle is hein.journals/cbmh6 and id is 1 raw text is: Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 6, 3-5, 1996 © Whurr Publishers Ltd Editorial: capital punishment and psychiatry The debate in this issue of Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health between American psychiatrists Beck, on the one hand, and Brakel and Cavanaugh on the other, has prompted us to make the editorial position of CBMH in respect of this topic clear. It is a matter of constant surprise to psychiatrists in Europe, that the USA, in spite of its democratic traditions and its high levels of prosperity, seems to be able not only to sustain capital punishment as part of its criminal justice system, but also to inveigle doctors to take a different stance on matters of life and death from doctors in most other western countries. In contrast with Brakel and Cavanaugh, the editors of CBMH are in no doubt that there is a sound, principled reason that distinguishes the death penalty from all other penalties that may be imposed by the courts. Execution inflicts certain, irreversible and terminal damage on an individual without the least prospect of benefit for that individual. No other penalty fits these crite- ria. In addition there is no evidence that society benefits from judicial killings. There is a strong argument that the fraternity of medicine demands greater allegiance than any national political allegiance. Clearly this is difficult to take to extremes, and doctors would soon be in serious difficulty if they refused to obey the laws of their country. Nevertheless, the Declaration of Geneva, amended by the 22nd World Medical Assembly in October 1983, is usually taken by medical practitioners throughout the world as the bedrock of the aims and objectives of medical practice. Those who subscribe to this declaration hold to a number of tenets, including: * I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity; * I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient; * I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning, even under threat; * I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity. 3

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