Capital punishment is the most serious way in which a criminal can be punished. Criminals who perform hideous acts of terrorism or murder are given this punishment. In most countries, murderers are hanged till their last breath. Murders are not given capital punishment if they kill someone while defending themselves.  However, this punishment should only be given if the criminal is normal and does not have any mental issues. Unfortunately, people have different perceptions about this point related to capital punishment.

Capital punishment for mentally disabled should never be permitted and there are several reasons to support this statement. A person who is mentally disturbed is not in his senses when he is performing any activity. In other words, any criminal act committed by him or her is purely unintentional and the person is completely unaware of the ramifications that follow. Thus, legal regulations for a mentally disabled person should never be the same as a normal person. Hence, legal bodies of a country should not execute capital punishment for mentally disabled. Is capital punishment for mentally disabled an act of cruelty? The answer to this question is yes. When a person is not normal, he is not aware of the steps that he is taking. Irrespective of whether the act is criminal or not, a mentally disabled person does not perform most regular activities in a normal manner. Legal bodies should consider the key factor of the criminal’s mental status before they award a punishment.

This form of an extreme step is not taken in normal circumstances. In other words, the conditions of capital punishment have to be satisfied.  One of the conditions of capital punishment is that the criminal should be mentally normal and the act needs to be intentional. If the act is not intentional or the criminal is not a normal human being, the punishment does not stand valid. People who are not stable in mental terms are completely unaware that they are committing a crime. Hence, punishing them in such a severe manner is nothing but unfair. The other conditions for capital punishment highlight the category of crime that has been committed. Legal bodies do not allow anyone to be hanged for any normal crime. These extreme actions are taken when crimes like murder, terrorism or national security acts have been committed. When a criminal undergoes trial for capital punishment, the conditions under which the crime has been committed are examined in a close manner. However, in any case, if the criminal is not in his senses or facing mental disorders, he should not be subjected to any form of extreme punishment.