The English translation of a behind-the-scenes account of the abolition of the death penalty in France

ROBERT BADINTER is a lawyer, professor, politician, and author. He has served as Minister of Justice and as the president of the Conseil constitutionnel. He currently sits in the French senate and remains active in the global fight against the death penalty, having been one of the founders of the World Congress Against the Death Penalty. He has written nearly a dozen books, including works on Oscar Wilde and the Marquis of Condorcet. He is married to prominent author and feminist Elisabeth Badinter. JEREMMY MERCER is the author of numerous books including Champagne Gang (1998), Time Was Soft There (2005), and the forthcoming When the Guillotine Fell (2008). He lives in Marseille, France. KENNETH ROTH is the executive director of Human Rights Watch.