The death penalty - A perspective from Singapore

Abstract

Very few studies on the death penalty have been done in Singapore. Studies that analyse views and opinions towards the death penalty and its effect are important to better understand the publica??s perception towards general crime and punishment, public safety and trust in the judicial system. Such studies provide officials and lawmakers with information on public knowledge and opinion while formulating future policies regarding the subject. Although this thesis cannot cover the multi-faceted aspects and implications of the death penalty, it is hoped that findings from this thesis can be utilised in future policy formulation as well as further research on the subject. In this study, a survey was designed for the target group with the question of agreement with the death penalty and its deterrent effect in mind. Two hypotheses were initially proposed and both were verified with the use of backward stepwise logistical regression analysis on SPSS. The thesis concluded that most respondents agreed with the use of the death penalty in Singapore (n = 67) and that most demographic indicators such as ethnicity or religion were not significant predictors of agreement with either the death penalty or the deterrent effect. The survey also found that attitudinal predictors such as the method of execution were significant predictors of agreement with the death penalty.