The death penalty and international legal consciousness

a proposal for a referendum in Brazil

Authors

  • Dircêu Aguiar Dias Cintra Júnior Associação Juízes para a Democracia, AJD, Brasil

Keywords:

death penalty, plebiscite, International Law, human rights, legal positivism

Abstract

This article examines the proposal for a plebiscite to reintroduce the death penalty in Brazil in light of international legal consciousness. Tracing the juridical tendencies emerging after World War II—the development of International Law and the dialectical overcoming of legal positivism—, the author argues that capital punishment, as useless as it is inhumane, has been eradicated through the historical struggle of civilized peoples. He concludes that fundamental rights, consecrated as humanity's permanent conquest, cannot be subjected to the will of occasional majorities, rendering popular consultation on such matters incompatible with the international protection of human rights.

 

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Author Biography

Dircêu Aguiar Dias Cintra Júnior, Associação Juízes para a Democracia, AJD, Brasil

Juiz de Direito em São Paulo e Membro do Conselho de Administração da Associação Juízes para a Democracia

References

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Published

1993-01-01

How to Cite

CINTRA JÚNIOR, Dircêu Aguiar Dias. The death penalty and international legal consciousness: a proposal for a referendum in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Criminal Science, São Paulo, v. 1, n. 1, p. 78–86, 1993. Disponível em: https://publicacoes.ibccrim.org.br/index.php/RBCCRIM/article/view/3211. Acesso em: 20 oct. 2026.

Issue

Section

National Doctrine
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