You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe capital punishment must be banned, while others think in order to protect individuals, criminals committing certain crimes must be executed.
What is your opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experiences.
You should write at least 250 words.
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IELTS Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay
There is a group of people who argue for the abolition of death penalty, whereas, considering people’s safety, others believe that convicts of some heinous crimes must be brought to the judicial execution. However, I am strongly inclined to the view that execution is assuredly inappropriate in the modern world due to the possibility of mistrial and its futility.
A miscarriage of justice that results in putting an innocent person to death is one of the key reasons why capital punishment is impractical today. Instead of having the advanced investigation methods and a large number of efficient detectives, there is always a chance of making a mistake. For instance, Tom Chappell of Zimbabwe was given a death penalty in 1989, which was proved wrong after 22 years when his dependent parents and widow already passed away after a long period of poverty and starvation. It illustrates that a legalized killing cannot bring any justice for lay people, but it can definitely shatter someone’s life, which would have a knock-on effect on many individuals. Even if the jury realizes after executing the penalty that it was a mistake, no compensation on earth will be able to bring the executed person back to life. Thus, killing an innocent person in the name of justice can never be justified.
In addition, I would argue that anyone can make mistakes, and therefore, it is extremely important to give a lawbreaker a second chance for rectification. There are serial killers who are caught in the USA and in some European countries and, fortunately, as the above-mentioned countries do not have death penalty, it can be a salvation for the first-time criminals in these nations. For instance, the Norwegian terrorist Bravick killed 77 and injured 151 people, but he got a second chance, which was especially useful for this person as it allowed him to think twice about his life. Therefore, I do believe that the government should give perpetrators an opportunity for rehabilitation which is a proved effective strategy applied in many countries.
In conclusion, both jury and criminals can make mistakes; judges can give an unfair trail ending someone’s life, while a correction chance can gift a person a beautiful new life. Therefore, regardless of the extent of crime, I am firmly of the opinion that death penalty is inappropriate in today's world.
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