How did Antonin Scalia’s approach to the Eighth Amendment affect his view of capital punishment?

Antonin Scalia’s view of capital punishment was rooted in his commitment to originalism, a judicial philosophy that interprets the Constitution based on the common understanding of its text at the time of its adoption.1

Applying this method to the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment," Scalia argued that the amendment could not be interpreted as inconsistent with the death penalty. He reasoned that because death was a common and accepted punishment for felonies when the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791, it could not be considered "cruel and unusual" under the original meaning of the text.1

For Scalia, this approach was essential to maintaining a restrained judiciary and ensuring that moral or policy debates regarding the death penalty remained within the realm of democratic processes rather than being decided by judges based on evolving standards or personal preferences.1