To what extent is the death penalty an unconstitutional means of punishment in federal cases with a particular emphasis on the criminal justice system of the State of California?

Researcher: Natasha Darlington
Supervised by: Alice Panepinto
Home department: Law
Project department: Human Rights in Practice

Expected start date: 27/06/2016
Expected end date: 22/08/2016

I am Natasha. I am twenty years old and have just finished my second year of a Law (European) degree. Next year, I will be studying French Law in Paris. My hobbies include: playing sports, reading and playing the piano. I have a particular interest in human rights and international law so I am completing my project this summer. I am fluent in three languages (English, French and Serbo-Croat).

The project is about whether the death penalty is unconstitutional not just on a federal level but also within the State of California. This means, does the death penalty violate the 8th Amendment (Cruel and unusual punishment) In terms of California, there will be a referendum in Autumn 2016 on whether the state should abolish the death penalty so my research will be completed before that important event.