Capital Punishment

Do the laws of war and international criminal justice adequately address unusual cases such as terrorists, piracy or rogue states? What is the legal basis for targeted assassination? A contrast between contemporary, secular legal thought and the Torah's j...

In the wake of the news of the killing Osama bin Laden, Rabbi Brackman looks to the Torah to answer the question, "Is it ever ethical and just to execute someone without due process of law?"

Question: I know there is an infinite, loving G‑d. It's just that I can't get my head around a few things in the Torah, like death penalties for gays, wizards, and people who curse their parents. Even if these people have erred, couldn't they just be aske...

If we are honest with ourselves we would have to admit that laser-guided missiles and Abrams tanks are more lethal killing machines than a masked man with a butcher knife. So what is it about these anachronistic beheadings that offends us so much?

This Talmud series analyzes the judicial principles related to cases where two different sentences are applicable: should one or more sentences be administered? First, the class introduces the primary categories of punitive liability, and then discusses t...

Study the daily lesson of Sefer HaMitzvos for day 315 with Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, where he teaches the mitzvah in-depth with added insight and detail.

As long as the body is not buried, the soul does not come before the Al-mighty, nor can it be in another body in another incarnation.

Isn't encouragement of vengeance precisely what the City of Refuge system does? Doesn't the American system do a better job of dealing with such a sad episode, discouraging vigilante justice?

In lieu of commentary, I'd like to contrast this decision with the way Jewish law handles post-conviction exoneration...