As to hobbits:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Frodo, in "The Scouring of Shire"
No hobbit has ever killed another on purpose in the Shire, and it is not to begin now.
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No murders and no capital punishments then. At least recorded ones, but I guess none at all: Tolkien made Shire an idyllic place without violence and other "nuisances" like that.
I can't imagine breelanders using a capital punisment either.
Gondor, Rohan, Dale, Esgaroth and the Beorningland were in varying degrees based on medieval western societies. Back then, capital punishment was widely accepted and in use in Europe, so I can't see it not being in ME. Maybe it was not used as strictly or often (not for a theft etc), but I think it was used at least in cases of treason and murders. In medieval times a prison sentence was not a very widely-used punishment (except for nobles waiting for their actual punishment, or being lovked away not to be in the way), because there simply weren't many prison or lots of prison space. Considering that I can imagine criminals with serious crimes hanged. (And no, I'm not forgetting about weregild.)