The principle of a Civil Law System is one where the judiciary must follow a certain set of laws or codes and is sometimes referred to as the neo-Roman or Romano-Germanic law system or model. France, Mexico and many Latin American countries still adhere to this form of law.
There is one state in the United States of America that follows or practices a Civil Law System.
1. What state is that?
2. Why does this state practice Civil Law?
3. Which form of law, Common Law or Civil Law, do you feel is more efficient?
The author of our text, when lecturing on the death penalty, states that the 8th. Amendment of our Constitution has these words in it which gives fuel to the debates over the death penalty. These words are "... nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted." It is felt that since the science of DNA testing has come about that more people have been condemned to receive the death penalty.
4. If DNA plus corroborating evidence is what helps put a person on death row, should they be executed if they are found sane and have been found guilty of a capital crime?
5. Do you consider lethal injection cruel or unusual punishment?
6. Which is more humane? Telling a condemned prisoner the exact date and time of their execution or to notify them the morning of the executions.
7. Do you think the death penalty should be abolished?