ABSTRACT

Under certain provisions, states assume their right through legislation to determine when a life can be ended, actively or passively. is may be in the case of retributive justice, when a capital sentence is allowed for murder, on the basis of the ‘life for life’ principle. Sometimes it could be argued in ethics and law that justiable homicide (one person killing another) will be accepted, but this is only in clearly dened circumstances, such as in self defence or as an act of war.