capital offences

Death penalty violations

Capital offences are crimes punishable by death.

The term comes from the Latin for head—execution historically meant losing yours.

What qualifies varies by jurisdiction: murder, treason, and terrorism are common; some countries include drug trafficking, adultery, or blasphemy.

In states without the death penalty, there are no capital offences.

Also spelled capital offenses.

Related

execution · criminality · murders · serial killer · wrongful convictions · wrongful death · terrorism · genocide · homicides · clemency · justice · assassination · sanctity of life · abolitionism · hangings · cruel and unusual · piracy · espionage

Opposites
severity of crime

capital offencesminor infractions

Small legal violations

misdemeanors · petty crimes · infractions · traffic violations · parking tickets

legal consequences

capital offencestorts

Compensable civil wrongs

Family

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