Homicide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Homicide - Research Paper Example Many have identified that the actual number of the criminals and serial killers are increasing by challenging he laws and the authorities. As such, the study of homicide deserves greater importance for the researchers and the general public. An overview of the various books and other writings published on this issue unveils that there has been many attempts to identify murder and homicide. However, even after various studies over this issue, one can still view it as an argumentative issue among the researchers and the intelligentsia. Only a thorough wider analysis and research, one can make clear certain issues regarding homicide and or murder. Homicide is the killing of one human being by another. If the killing is not excusable or justifiable, then it is called criminal homicide. Murder and Manslaughter are the two general categories of criminal homicide. In most countries, First Degree Murder is the most serious crime that people can commit, where manslaughter is a less serious cr iminally homicide. Considered the most heinous crime that could be committed in society, the intentional or unintentional act of murder brings lasting affects to the families of the victims and the murderers and their families. The consequences of these heinous actions have the potential to also affect the current laws that are in place, possibly having them amended. The proposed research seeks to explore certain realities concerning homicide and will conclude by analyzing the various types of homicides and the negative effects which may hamper the lives of modern people. 1. HOMICIDE - KILLING OF ANOTHER Homicide has often been identified as the killing of one human being by another human being due to various factors. Homicide is broader in scope than murder, though it has often referred as synonymous it. An overview of homicide reveals that murder is a variety of criminal homicide which is punishable where other forms of homicide might not constitute criminal acts. Other forms of h omicides are often accounted as justified and excusable. Law has clearly defined or categorized various types of homicides which includes killing intentionally, murder for self-defense, planned murder, and so on. Individuals may engage in murder for self-defense, ‘kill a person who threatens them with death or serious injury, or they may be commanded or authorized by law to kill a person who is a member of an enemy force or who has committed a serious crime’ (The free dictionary, 2011). As per the laws existing in majority of the world nations, it is the circumstance surrounding a killing that decides whether a man is a criminal or not. The more specific legal terms takes into account the intent of the killer to regard his/her action as criminal homicide which is generally considered as murder or man slaughter. Regarding homicide, it can be brought under two main categories called Lawful killing and Unlawful killing. a. LAWFUL KILLING As per the legal statutes, English courts developed the body of Common Law on which U.S. jurisdictions already depending to develop their verdicts concerning homicides. The legal dictionary identifies the two types of homicides when it writes thus, â€Å"Early English common law divided homicide into two broad categories: felonious and non-felonious. Historically, the deliberate and premeditated killing of a person by another person was a felonious homicide and was