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class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A8%DB%8C%E2%80%8C%D8%B1%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87_%D9%88_%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%88%D9%84" title="مجازات بی‌رحمانه و نامعمول – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="مجازات بی‌رحمانه و نامعمول" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peine_ou_traitement_cruel,_inhumain_ou_d%C3%A9gradant" title="Peine ou traitement cruel, inhumain ou dégradant – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Peine ou traitement cruel, inhumain ou dégradant" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%9E%94%EC%9D%B8%ED%95%98%EA%B3%A0_%EB%B9%84%EC%A0%95%EC%83%81%EC%A0%81%EC%9D%B8_%ED%98%95%EB%B2%8C" title="잔인하고 비정상적인 형벌 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="잔인하고 비정상적인 형벌" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ha mw-list-item"><a href="https://ha.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalunci_da_Hukuncin_da_ba%27a_saba_ba" title="Zalunci da Hukuncin da ba'a saba ba – Hausa" lang="ha" hreflang="ha" data-title="Zalunci da Hukuncin da ba'a saba ba" data-language-autonym="Hausa" data-language-local-name="Hausa" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hausa</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castigo_cruel_e_incomum" title="Castigo cruel e incomum – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Castigo cruel e incomum" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruel_and_unusual_punishment" title="Cruel and unusual punishment – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Cruel and unusual punishment" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AE%8B%E9%85%B7%E5%92%8C%E4%B8%8D%E5%AF%BB%E5%B8%B8%E7%9A%84%E6%83%A9%E7%BD%9A" title="残酷和不寻常的惩罚 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="残酷和不寻常的惩罚" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit 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class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Punishment deemed overly severe</div><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1251242444">.mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output 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class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="Globe icon." src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/48px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png" decoding="async" width="48" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/73px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Ambox_globe_content.svg/97px-Ambox_globe_content.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="350" data-file-height="290" /></span></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">The examples and perspective in this article <b>deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Countering_systemic_bias" title="Wikipedia:WikiProject Countering systemic bias">worldwide view</a> of the subject</b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> You may <a class="external text" 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.mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-list-title,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle{background:transparent!important}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sidebar:not(.notheme) .sidebar-title-with-pretitle a{color:var(--color-progressive)!important}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sidebar{display:none!important}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1202158006">.mw-parser-output .law-sidebar .sidebar-heading{background:#aaddff;color:#000}.mw-parser-output .law-sidebar .sidebar-above{font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .law-sidebar .sidebar-below{padding:0.4em;border-top:1px #aaa solid;font-weight:normal;font-size:smaller}</style><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><table class="sidebar nomobile nowraplinks hlist law-sidebar"><tbody><tr><th class="sidebar-title"><a href="/wiki/Criminal_procedure" title="Criminal procedure">Criminal procedure</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-above"> Criminal trials and convictions</td></tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Rights of the accused</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Right_to_a_fair_trial" title="Right to a fair trial">Fair trial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pre-trial" class="mw-redirect" title="Pre-trial">Pre-trial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Speedy_trial" title="Speedy trial">Speedy trial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jury_trial" title="Jury trial">Jury trial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Right_to_counsel" title="Right to counsel">Counsel</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Presumption_of_innocence" title="Presumption of innocence">Presumption of innocence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exclusionary_rule" title="Exclusionary rule">Exclusionary rule</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-incrimination" title="Self-incrimination">Self-incrimination</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double_jeopardy" title="Double jeopardy">Double jeopardy</a><sup><small>2</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bail" title="Bail">Bail</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Appeal" title="Appeal">Appeal</a></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Verdict" title="Verdict">Verdict</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Conviction" title="Conviction">Conviction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acquittal" title="Acquittal">Acquittal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Not_proven" title="Not proven">Not proven</a><sup><small>3</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Directed_verdict" class="mw-redirect" title="Directed verdict">Directed verdict</a></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> <a href="/wiki/Sentence_(law)" title="Sentence (law)">Sentencing</a></th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mandatory_sentencing" title="Mandatory sentencing">Mandatory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Suspended_sentence" title="Suspended sentence">Suspended</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Custodial_sentence" title="Custodial sentence">Custodial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sentencing_disparity" title="Sentencing disparity">Disparity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Periodic_detention" title="Periodic detention">Periodic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Discharge_(sentence)" title="Discharge (sentence)">Discharge</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sentencing_guidelines" title="Sentencing guidelines">Guidelines</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guilt_(law)" title="Guilt (law)">Guilt</a></li></ul> </div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Totality_principle" title="Totality principle">Totality</a><sup><small>5, 6</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dangerous_offender" title="Dangerous offender">Dangerous offender</a><sup><small>4, 5</small></sup></li></ul> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Capital_punishment" title="Capital punishment">Capital punishment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Execution_warrant" title="Execution warrant">Execution warrant</a></li></ul> </div> <ul><li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Cruel and unusual punishment</a></li></ul> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Imprisonment" title="Imprisonment">Imprisonment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_imprisonment" title="Life imprisonment">Life imprisonment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indefinite_imprisonment" title="Indefinite imprisonment">Indefinite imprisonment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Three-strikes_law" title="Three-strikes law">Three-strikes law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zero_tolerance" title="Zero tolerance">Zero tolerance</a></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Post-sentencing</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Parole" title="Parole">Parole</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Probation" title="Probation">Probation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales">Tariff</a> <sup><small>6</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Life_imprisonment_in_England_and_Wales" title="Life imprisonment in England and Wales">Life licence</a><sup><small>6</small></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criminal_justice" title="Criminal justice">Criminal justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Exoneration" title="Exoneration">Exoneration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Habitual_offender" title="Habitual offender">Habitual offender</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Miscarriage_of_justice" title="Miscarriage of justice">Miscarriage of justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pardon" title="Pardon">Pardon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Recidivism" title="Recidivism">Recidivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rehabilitation_(penology)" title="Rehabilitation (penology)">Rehabilitation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Restorative_justice" title="Restorative justice">Restorative justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sex_offender_registry" title="Sex offender registry">Sex offender registry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sexually_violent_predator_laws" title="Sexually violent predator laws">Sexually violent predator laws</a><sup><small>1</small></sup></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Related areas of law</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Civil_procedure" title="Civil procedure">Civil procedure</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Category:Criminal_defenses" title="Category:Criminal defenses">Criminal defenses</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criminal_law" title="Criminal law">Criminal law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evidence_(law)" title="Evidence (law)">Evidence</a></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><th class="sidebar-heading"> Portals</th></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-content" style="padding-bottom:0.75em;"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><span class="nowrap"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Balance,_by_David.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="icon" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/30px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/46px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Balance%2C_by_David.svg/61px-Balance%2C_by_David.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="606" data-file-height="558" /></a></span> </span><a href="/wiki/Portal:Law" title="Portal:Law">Law portal</a></li></ul> </div></td> </tr><tr><td class="sidebar-below"> <div class="hlist"> <ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>1</small></sup> <a href="/wiki/Courts_of_the_United_States" class="mw-redirect" title="Courts of the United States">US courts</a></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>2</small></sup> Not in <a href="/wiki/Courts_of_England_and_Wales" title="Courts of England and Wales">English/Welsh courts</a></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>3</small></sup> <a href="/wiki/Courts_of_Scotland" title="Courts of Scotland">Scottish courts</a></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>4</small></sup> English/Welsh courts</span></li> <li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>5</small></sup> <a href="/wiki/Courts_of_Canada" class="mw-redirect" title="Courts of Canada">Canadian courts</a></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:85%;"><sup><small>6</small></sup> <a href="/wiki/Courts_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="Courts of the United Kingdom">UK courts</a></span></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td class="sidebar-navbar"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Criminal_procedure_(trial)" title="Template:Criminal procedure (trial)"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Criminal_procedure_(trial)" title="Template talk:Criminal procedure (trial)"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Criminal_procedure_(trial)" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Criminal procedure (trial)"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Cruel and unusual punishment</b> is a phrase in <a href="/wiki/Common_law" title="Common law">common law</a> describing <a href="/wiki/Punishment" title="Punishment">punishment</a> that is considered unacceptable due to the <a href="/wiki/Suffering" title="Suffering">suffering</a>, <a href="/wiki/Pain" title="Pain">pain</a>, or <a href="/wiki/Humiliation" title="Humiliation">humiliation</a> it inflicts on the person subjected to the sanction. The precise definition varies by jurisdiction, but typically includes punishments that are arbitrary, unnecessary, or overly severe compared to the crime. </p><meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The words "cruel and unusual punishment" (the actual words were firstly <i>illegall and cruell Punishments</i> and secondly <i>cruell and unusuall Punishments</i>) were first used in the <a href="/wiki/England" title="England">English</a> <a href="/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689" title="Bill of Rights 1689">Bill of Rights 1689</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> They were later also adopted in the United States by the <a href="/wiki/Eighth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" title="Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution">Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution</a> (ratified 1791) and in the <a href="/wiki/British_Leeward_Islands" title="British Leeward Islands">British Leeward Islands</a> (1798). Very similar words, "No one shall be subjected to <a href="/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">torture</a> or to <a href="/wiki/Cruel,_inhuman_or_degrading_treatment" title="Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment">cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment</a> or punishment", appear in Article 5 of the <a href="/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights" title="Universal Declaration of Human Rights">Universal Declaration of Human Rights</a> adopted by the <a href="/wiki/United_Nations_General_Assembly" title="United Nations General Assembly">United Nations General Assembly</a> on December 10, 1948. The right under a different formulation is also found in <a href="/wiki/Article_3_of_the_European_Convention_on_Human_Rights" title="Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights">Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights</a> (1950) and in Article 7 of the <a href="/wiki/International_Covenant_on_Civil_and_Political_Rights" title="International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights">International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights</a> (1966). The <a href="/wiki/Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_Freedoms" title="Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms">Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a> (1982) also contains this fundamental right in <a href="/wiki/Section_Twelve_of_the_Canadian_Charter_of_Rights_and_Freedoms" class="mw-redirect" title="Section Twelve of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms">section 12</a> and it is to be found in Article 4 (quoting the European Convention verbatim) of the <a href="/wiki/Charter_of_Fundamental_Rights_of_the_European_Union" title="Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union">Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union</a> (2000). It is also found in Article 16 of the <a href="/wiki/Convention_against_Torture_and_other_Cruel,_Inhuman_or_Degrading_Treatment_or_Punishment" class="mw-redirect" title="Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment">Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment</a> (1984), and in Article 40 of the <a href="/wiki/Constitution_of_Poland" title="Constitution of Poland">Constitution of Poland</a> (1997).<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Marshall_Islands" title="Constitution of the Marshall Islands">Constitution of the Marshall Islands</a>, in the sixth section of its Bill of Rights (Article 2), prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment", which it defines as: the <a href="/wiki/Death_penalty" class="mw-redirect" title="Death penalty">death penalty</a>; torture; "inhuman and degrading treatment"; and "<a href="/wiki/Excessive_fines" class="mw-redirect" title="Excessive fines">excessive fines</a> or deprivations".<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_States">United States</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Eighth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" title="Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution">Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution</a> states that "cruel and unusual punishments [shall not be] inflicted." The general principles that the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Supreme_Court" class="mw-redirect" title="United States Supreme Court">United States Supreme Court</a> relied on to decide whether or not a particular punishment was cruel and unusual were determined by <a href="/wiki/William_J._Brennan" class="mw-redirect" title="William J. Brennan">Justice William Brennan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In <i><a href="/wiki/Furman_v._Georgia" title="Furman v. Georgia">Furman v. Georgia</a></i>, <a href="/wiki/List_of_United_States_Supreme_Court_cases,_volume_408" title="List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 408">408</a> <a href="/wiki/United_States_Reports" title="United States Reports">U.S.</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/408/238/">238</a> (1972), Justice Brennan concurring wrote, "There are, then, four principles by which we may determine whether a particular punishment is 'cruel and unusual'." </p> <ul><li>The "essential predicate" is "that a punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity", especially <a href="/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">torture</a>.</li> <li>"A severe punishment that is obviously inflicted in wholly arbitrary fashion." (<i><a href="/wiki/Furman_v._Georgia" title="Furman v. Georgia">Furman v. Georgia</a></i> temporarily suspended <a href="/wiki/Capital_punishment" title="Capital punishment">capital punishment</a> for this reason.)</li> <li>"A severe punishment that is clearly and totally rejected throughout society."</li> <li>"A severe punishment that is patently unnecessary."</li></ul> <p>And he added: "The function of these principles, after all, is simply to provide [the] means by which a court can determine whether [the] challenged punishment comports with human dignity. They are, therefore, interrelated, and, in most cases, it will be their convergence that will justify the conclusion that a punishment is 'cruel and unusual.' The test, then, will ordinarily be a cumulative one: if a punishment is unusually severe, if there is a strong probability that it is inflicted arbitrarily, if it is substantially rejected by contemporary society, and if there is no reason to believe that it serves any penal purpose more effectively than some less severe punishment, then the continued infliction of that punishment violates the command of the Clause that the State may not inflict inhuman and uncivilized punishments upon those convicted of crimes." </p><p>Continuing, he wrote that he expected that no state would pass a law obviously violating any one of these principles, so court decisions regarding the Eighth Amendment would involve a "cumulative" analysis of the implication of each of the four principles. In this way, the United States Supreme Court "set the standard that a punishment would be cruel and unusual [if] it was too severe for the crime, [if] it was arbitrary, if it offended society's sense of justice, or if it was not more effective than a less severe penalty."<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Capital_punishment">Capital punishment</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Capital punishment"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>There is much discussion as to whether <a href="/wiki/Capital_punishment" title="Capital punishment">capital punishment</a> is considered cruel and unusual. Common arguments are that capital punishment is more expensive when factoring in <a href="/wiki/Appeal" title="Appeal">appeals</a> versus <a href="/wiki/Life_in_prison" class="mw-redirect" title="Life in prison">life in prison</a>, and that the government has been wrong before on death penalty cases (therefore, the government could be wrong again, and the government ought not have the authority to end a life). These two arguments alone may or may not qualify under the tests the government puts forth, which could also be considered arbitrary itself, especially if society is not informed enough on these considerable facts. For most of recorded history, capital punishments were often deliberately cruel, painful, and/or degrading. Severe historical execution methods include the <a href="/wiki/Breaking_wheel" title="Breaking wheel">breaking wheel</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hanged,_drawn_and_quartered" title="Hanged, drawn and quartered">hanged, drawn and quartered</a>, <a href="/wiki/Mazzatello" title="Mazzatello">mazzatello</a> (beating the head with a mallet or mace), <a href="/wiki/Boiling_to_death" class="mw-redirect" title="Boiling to death">boiling to death</a>, <a href="/wiki/Death_by_burning" title="Death by burning">death by burning</a>, <a href="/wiki/Execution_by_drowning" title="Execution by drowning">execution by drowning</a>, feeding alive to predatory animals, death by starvation, <a href="/wiki/Immurement" title="Immurement">immurement</a>, <a href="/wiki/Flaying" title="Flaying">flaying</a>, <a href="/wiki/Disembowelment" title="Disembowelment">disembowelment</a>, <a href="/wiki/Crucifixion" title="Crucifixion">crucifixion</a>, <a href="/wiki/Impalement" title="Impalement">impalement</a>, <a href="/wiki/Crushing_(execution)" title="Crushing (execution)">crushing</a>, <a href="/wiki/Execution_by_elephant" title="Execution by elephant">execution by elephant</a>, <a href="/wiki/Keelhauling" title="Keelhauling">keelhauling</a>, <a href="/wiki/Stoning" title="Stoning">stoning</a>, <a href="/wiki/Dismemberment" title="Dismemberment">dismemberment</a>, <a href="/wiki/Sawing_(torture)" class="mw-redirect" title="Sawing (torture)">sawing</a>, <a href="/wiki/Slow_slicing" class="mw-redirect" title="Slow slicing">slow slicing</a>, <a href="/wiki/Blood_eagle" title="Blood eagle">blood eagle</a>, <a href="/wiki/Bamboo_torture" title="Bamboo torture">bamboo torture</a> and <a href="/wiki/Necklacing" title="Necklacing">necklacing</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 2008, <a href="/wiki/Michael_Portillo" title="Michael Portillo">Michael Portillo</a> on the show <i><a href="/wiki/Horizon_(BBC_TV_series)" class="mw-redirect" title="Horizon (BBC TV series)">Horizon</a></i> argued that in ensuring an execution is not of a cruel and unusual nature, the following criteria must be met: </p> <ul><li>Death should be quick and painless to prevent suffering for the person being executed;</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Medical_education" title="Medical education">Medical education</a> should be provided to the <a href="/wiki/Executioner" title="Executioner">executioner</a> to prevent suffering caused by error;</li> <li>The death should not be gory (to prevent suffering for those carrying out the execution); and</li> <li>No co-operation should be required from the person being executed, to prevent inaction, distress, and/or suffering caused by the prisoner being required to participate in their own execution.</li></ul> <p>It was found that no present-used method could fulfil these criteria and the unethical nature of capital punishment invalidates these principles, but that hypoxia, i.e. through <a href="/wiki/Nitrogen_asphyxiation" class="mw-redirect" title="Nitrogen asphyxiation">inert gas asphyxiation</a> (a method then not in use) held the most promise.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Furthermore, a study conducted by <a href="/wiki/Harold_Hillman" title="Harold Hillman">Harold Hillman</a> in 1993 on "possible pain experienced during execution by different methods" reached the conclusion that "[a]ll of the methods used for executing people [including <a href="/wiki/Execution_by_shooting" title="Execution by shooting">shooting</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hanging" title="Hanging">hanging</a>, <a href="/wiki/Stoning" title="Stoning">stoning</a>, <a href="/wiki/Beheading" class="mw-redirect" title="Beheading">beheading</a>, <a href="/wiki/Electrocution" title="Electrocution">electrocution</a>, <a href="/wiki/Gas_chamber" title="Gas chamber">gassing</a>], with the possible exception of <a href="/wiki/Lethal_injection" title="Lethal injection">intravenous injection</a>, are likely to cause pain".<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1184024115">.mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}</style><div class="div-col" style="column-width: 30em;"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Geneva_Conventions" title="Geneva Conventions">Geneva Conventions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prisoner_abuse" title="Prisoner abuse">Prisoner abuse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Psychological_torture" title="Psychological torture">Psychological torture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Retributive_justice" title="Retributive justice">Retributive justice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/War_crime" title="War crime">War crime</a></li></ul></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/britains-unwritten-constitution">"Britain's unwritten constitution"</a>. British Library. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20211028044838/https://www.bl.uk/magna-carta/articles/britains-unwritten-constitution">Archived</a> from the original on 28 October 2021<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">27 November</span> 2015</span>. <q>The key landmark is the Bill of Rights (1689), which established the supremacy of Parliament over the Crown. ... The Bill of Rights (1689) then settled the primacy of Parliament over the monarch's prerogatives, providing for the regular meeting of Parliament, free elections to the Commons, free speech in parliamentary debates, and some basic human rights, most famously freedom from 'cruel or unusual punishment'.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Britain%27s+unwritten+constitution&rft.pub=British+Library&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bl.uk%2Fmagna-carta%2Farticles%2Fbritains-unwritten-constitution&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACruel+and+unusual+punishment" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240130184910/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMarSess2/1/2/introduction/data.htm">"Bill of Rights [1688]"</a>. 2024-01-30. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/WillandMarSess2/1/2/introduction/data.htm">the original</a> on 2024-01-30<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Jr. (July 1999). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=CCZ2SlSBRbQC&q=cruel+and+unusual+punishment+less+severe&pg=PA80"><i>Organ Transplants from Executed Prisoners: An Argument for the Creation of Death Sentence Organ Removal Statutes</i></a>. Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub. p. 80. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-0673-9" title="Special:BookSources/978-0-7864-0673-9"><bdi>978-0-7864-0673-9</bdi></a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220314163548/https://books.google.com/books?id=CCZ2SlSBRbQC&q=cruel+and+unusual+punishment+less+severe&pg=PA80">Archived</a> from the original on 2022-03-14<span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2014-02-09</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=BBC+-+Horizon+-+How+to+Kill+a+Human+Being&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fsn%2Ftvradio%2Fprogrammes%2Fhorizon%2Fbroadband%2Ftx%2Fexecutions%2Flethal_injection%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACruel+and+unusual+punishment" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHillman1993" class="citation journal cs1">Hillman, Harold (1993). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110430045610/http://web.mac.com/flip/AUR/Archives_of_Uncomfortable_Research/Entries/2006/9/12_The_possible_pain_experienced_during_execution_by_different_methods_files/Hillman1993Execution.PDF">"The possible pain experienced during execution by different methods"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. <i><a href="/wiki/Perception_(journal)" title="Perception (journal)">Perception</a></i>. <b>22</b> (6): <span class="nowrap">745–</span>753. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1068%2Fp220745">10.1068/p220745</a>. <a href="/wiki/PMID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="PMID (identifier)">PMID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8255703">8255703</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://web.mac.com/flip/AUR/Archives_of_Uncomfortable_Research/Entries/2006/9/12_The_possible_pain_experienced_during_execution_by_different_methods_files/Hillman1993Execution.PDF">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 2011-04-30<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2024-09-17</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Perception&rft.atitle=The+possible+pain+experienced+during+execution+by+different+methods&rft.volume=22&rft.issue=6&rft.pages=%3Cspan+class%3D%22nowrap%22%3E745-%3C%2Fspan%3E753&rft.date=1993&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.1068%2Fp220745&rft_id=info%3Apmid%2F8255703&rft.aulast=Hillman&rft.aufirst=Harold&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.mac.com%2Fflip%2FAUR%2FArchives_of_Uncomfortable_Research%2FEntries%2F2006%2F9%2F12_The_possible_pain_experienced_during_execution_by_different_methods_files%2FHillman1993Execution.PDF&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACruel+and+unusual+punishment" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://jetwriters.com/death-penalty-essay/">Death Penalty Pros and Cons</a></li></ul>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=0" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&oldid=1267702210">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cruel_and_unusual_punishment&oldid=1267702210</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Human_rights_abuses" title="Category:Human rights abuses">Human rights abuses</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Penology" title="Category:Penology">Penology</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Torture" title="Category:Torture">Torture</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Punishment" title="Category:Punishment">Punishment</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Cruel_and_Unusual_Punishment_Clause_case_law" title="Category:Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause case law">Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause case law</a></li></ul></div><div id="mw-hidden-catlinks" class="mw-hidden-catlinks mw-hidden-cats-hidden">Hidden categories: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Webarchive_template_wayback_links" title="Category:Webarchive template wayback links">Webarchive template wayback links</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_short_description" title="Category:Articles with short description">Articles with short description</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Short_description_is_different_from_Wikidata" title="Category:Short description is different from Wikidata">Short description is different from Wikidata</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Articles_with_limited_geographic_scope_from_April_2023" title="Category:Articles with limited geographic scope from April 2023">Articles with limited geographic scope from April 2023</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Category:United_States-centric" title="Category:United States-centric">United States-centric</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 6 January 2025, at 07:29<span class="anonymous-show"> (UTC)</span>.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_the_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_4.0_International_License" title="Wikipedia:Text of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License</a>; additional terms may apply. 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