Abstract
The complete or partial abolition of the death penalty is undoubtedly one of the most memorable decisions that can be adopted in a judicial system and a society.
Ethical, philosophical, religious, as well as criminological, economical and sociological arguments intervene in the realm of politics and law in order to support either the abolitionist option or the opposite one, which is sometimes referred to as “retentionist”. The aim of this study is not to contribute to the debate regarding these arguments, but simply to draw a picture of the main processes that can lead to the complete or partial abolition of the death penalty.