Court considers paralysis punishment

[Hivetyrant]

Saw this today and thought IW would be a nice place to have a discussion/argument about this.
It's certainly out of the ordinary, but I'm sure it will stir a few people's morals.....

http://www.news.com.au/national/cour...-1225907580098

A SAUDI court may ask doctors to deliberately sever a criminal's spinal cord as a gruesome punishment for leaving another man crippled. The court, in the northwestern province of Tabuk, has apparently sought medical advice on whether it is possible to surgically paralyse the defendant, who has not been named, Emirates 24/7 reported overnight. He has admitted attacking a man with a meat cleaver two years ago, leaving him crippled, the news website said, citing reports in the Arabic language newspaper Okaz. In Saudi Arabia, the criminal justice system has been known to dish out barbaric sentences in accordance with the ancient Babylonian code of Hammurabi, which advocates "an eye for an eye". The victim, Abdul Aziz Al Mutairi, 22, demanded that his attacker suffer the same injury. And he told Okaz that at least one hospital had agreed the chilling procedure was medically feasible. A judge at Tabuk General Court is reportedly waiting on responses from surgeons before issuing his sentence. Human rights groups have routinely attacked Saudi courts for falling below international standards and imposing brutal punishments, such as cutting off the hands of thieves.

What does ye think?

[Lord of Alcohol]

I think if the attacker is undeniably guilty they should just shoot him in the head.

edit- But I also think we should plant landmines in the southern border of the US so my opinion may be somewhat unpopular.

[Hindsight]

Hooooowee,
What can one really say to something like that. I have to admit though, that I have thought of doing the same thing, to people which do horrible things to others. I'm sure it has crossed most of our minds.

I think the better thing to do, would be to have the convicted person be a servant to the person he injured and maimed. Make him wash the person, care for him, bath him etc. An eye for an eye will only cause 2 people, to be dependent on others.

[SpiritWarrior]

Originally Posted by Hivetyrant Saw this today and thought IW would be a nice place to have a discussion/argument about this. It's certainly out of the ordinary, but I'm sure it will stir a few people's morals..... http://www.news.com.au/national/cour...-1225907580098 What does ye think?

It's too cruel imo. I mean, as a very extreme measure, use capital punishment if you must, but don't get all creatively karmic with lives. While the accused may have done some horrible things, the court shouldn't stoop to his level. But then, a Saudi court is a whole different ballgame.

[Bungleau]

Certainly it fits a "tit for tat" justice model. But I think there is far more punishment and justice served by having him become a servant of the person he's injured.

The fact that it will create *two* people reliant upon others is another long-term issue...

Time for the human rights people to show up.

[Sever]

I don't go for capital punishment, as a rule. Not that i don't think there are people who deserve to die. There certainly is. It's just that i don't believe there's a single person on the Earth who's righteous enough to be justified in delivering that sentence.

[Chewbacca]

Justice without mercy is simply cruelty in disguise and an eye for an eye leaves us all blind.

[Firestormalpha]

From the perspective of what's humane, if you're only options are a swift death vs. surgically induced paralysis, then death is the way to go.

Of course, I've always said one sure way to reduce crime dramatically is to invoke the death penalty for any felony level offense, to be imposed no longer than a month after sentencing. But this creates a rule by terror system that the greater majority (if not all) of humanity wouldn't like very much.

Alternately, I had a teacher who once said the easiest way to eliminate crime was to make everything legal. On a technical basis, this does eliminate crime, but then you'd be left with utter chaos.

As for making him the other mans servant/nurse-maid. Technically its a form of slavery, but it is a creative and appropriate punishment. The difficult part being, you'd be putting the man who nearly killed the victim in charge of the victim's well being. Even with guards watching him the whole time he could find an opportunity to finish the job.

[Timber Loftis]

Spirit wants to kill the guy rather than paralyze him. Why not ask the guilty man who's to be punished what he wants, first. Maybe he prefers the paralysis.

Chewie, how merciful would you be in this case? Imprison the guy? Let him skate free? Fine him? Minimal fine or high fine? Etc. It's all just different version of the same system. You say Hammurabi, I say Himmurabi.

Firestorm, I think you may have little clue as to how easy it can be for a normal person to mistakenly stumble into a felony, so you may want to reconsider. For instance, I know a kid, early 20's college student, who just got sentenced to 55 years because he made the mistake of giving the car ride to another dude who had a huge brick of cocaine in his backpack.

[SpiritWarrior]

Originally Posted by Timber Loftis Spirit wants to kill the guy rather than paralyze him. Why not ask the guilty man who's to be punished what he wants, first. Maybe he prefers the paralysis. .

Please. Many countries practice capital punishment as a final, quick and humane last resort (lethal injection). But how many allow the severing of your spinal chord as a sentence? If you want to give the guy a chance just don't do anything to him and let him free.