Canada abolished capital punishment in 1976, yet public opinion has remained largely in favour of its return. In our latest episode of the Open Minds Podcast, we explore this complex issue with Mario Canseco, president of ResearchCo, who has conducted extensive polling on Canadians’ attitudes toward the death penalty.
Surprisingly, over half of Canadians (54%) support reinstating capital punishment, with some surveys showing that up to 77% believe it is “sometimes or always appropriate.” However, as Mario highlights, support fluctuates when respondents are asked to compare execution with life imprisonment without parole—indicating that initial reactions may not align with deeper policy preferences.
The main justifications for the death penalty vary:
• 52% believe it deters crime.
• 49% see it as a fitting punishment for severe crimes.
• 46% argue that it saves taxpayer money.
This economic argument—that keeping someone in prison is too costly—sets Canada apart from other countries where capital punishment is viewed as a moral duty of the state. In places like Japan and India, the death penalty is framed as a response to egregious moral violations, whereas in Canada, it is often debated in budgetary and legal terms.
Our discussion also touches on the political implications of reintroducing the death penalty. Could a future government bring it back? Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that extraditing criminals to face execution violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, suggesting that any attempt to reinstate capital punishment would face significant legal and constitutional challenges.
So where does this leave Canada? Is capital punishment a relic of the past, or could shifting public sentiment push it back onto the political agenda?
