Charles Sturt University: Amin Sthapit Murder Trial Ethical Analysis

This essay analyzes the Amin Sthapit murder trial, focusing on the application of ethical theories to the case. The assignment begins by outlining the details of the murder, involving Geecy Rebucas, Amin Sthapit, and Roy Abanales Tabalbag. It then delves into four key ethical frameworks: Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue theory, and Contract theory. Utilitarianism is examined in the context of the accused's actions, considering the pleasure derived from the act and the overall consequences. Deontology is applied to assess the moral obligations and rules violated by the crime. Virtue theory explores the character traits and individual expressions of those involved. Finally, Contract theory is used to evaluate the societal rules and moral frameworks relevant to the case. The essay concludes by acknowledging the complexities of applying ethical theories and the varying perspectives on the incident, highlighting the challenges in making definitive judgments based on these frameworks.

SCHOOL OF COMPUTING AND MATHS, Charles Sturt University
Amin Sthapit murder trial: accused Roy Tabalbag 'provoked' into killing girlfriend Geecy Rebucas's
lover
Assignment 3: Applying Ethical Theory
Your Name
Student Number
Word Count: -1250

Amin Sthapit murder trial
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Utilitarianism theory..................................................................................................................3
Deontology Theory....................................................................................................................4
Virtue theory..............................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7
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Amin Sthapit murder trial
Introduction
In the case given it can be evaluated that the incident is related to a murder which
took place because the accused saw his girlfriend with her lover Amin Sthapit. There are
three people who were involved in this incident Geecy Rebucas, Amin Sthapit and Roy
Abanales Tabalbag. In the case, it can be evaluated that his girlfriend was engaged in the
sexual activity with his lover. The concepts on which focus will be given in this paper are
Utilitarianism, Deontology, Virtue and Contract theories.
Utilitarianism theory
Utilitarianism is concerned with a concept in which the elaboration is made of the
actions that help to enhance the utility. The term utility has a connection to the safety of the
sentient entities. The concept of utilitarianism was given by "Jeremy Bentham" and in this it
is elaborated that utility is concerned with the mixture of pleasure which is received
according to the action that has taken place (Alexander, 2014).
In this theory, it is seen that it is connected with a new version of consequentialism
which states that the overall consequences are related to the act and the standards which
define the right and wrong aspect. Utilitarianism is linked with the egoism and it the different
form of consequentialism in which the interest of equality is taken into consideration (Bostyn,
Roets & Van Hiel, 2016).
According to the case study, it can be seen that the action of accuses can be related to
the action which is considered for utilities. The incident showcases the unethical action which
was taken by Roy Abanales Tabalbag. He found that his girlfriend was engaged in a sexual
act with her lover. It can be analyzed that by observing his lover cheating he was not able to
manage the anger. As it can be evaluated that to kill a person is considered as a crime but in
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Amin Sthapit murder trial
the perspective of defense, it can be related to the feeling of pleasure based on the act. In this
case, Roy Abanales Tabalbag was guilty of the manslaughter and also his defense stated that
when this act took place Roy Abanales Tabalbag has no control over the activities and the
action was the outcome of the reflection which he analyzed. This utilitarianism motivation is
considered by the defense of Roy Abanales Tabalbag which can be considered as a moral
practice of utilitarianism theory. In this theory, the assistance is seen in the work program
which shows that positive work program for maintaining a better environment in the society
(Arthur, 2018).
Deontology Theory
This theory is concerned with the overall judgment related to the moral action.
Deontology theory is considered to judge the morality by giving focus on rules and
regulations which are set for the specific act (Shestack, 2017). Since it is seen that the rules
bind the person act and also this theory states the duty of ethics which should be considered
at the time of judging an act. The moral obligation depends on the type of system and also
can take place from the external and internal aspects of rules related to the universe and also
cultural and personal values (Lazar, 2017).
According to the case, it is seen that Roy killed the lover of his girlfriend which is
considered as a major crime in the eyes of laws. Theory can be related to the murder as it is
seen that it is an act of the feeling but in context of deontological ethics these are taken into
consideration as a crime. He was involved in the crime which is not ethical according to the
law. The defense of Tabalbag stated that the murder which took place was the outcome of
losing the overall self-control as it can be evaluated that what he saw was sad for him but the
practice is not permitted.
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Amin Sthapit murder trial
Virtue theory
Virtue is related to the thinking the power of an individual. This theory focuses on the
virtue personality which makes them unique from the other people. Also, this theory is
related to the trait of the character and also with the habitual acts. This theory takes into
consideration the individual expressions which were given in the scenario of the incident
(Vinnari, Vinnari & Kupsala, 2017).
This theory also emphasizes the expression of an individual. The incident states that
the suspect has a nice behavior with the people (Bright, Winn & Kanov, 2014). It can be
evaluated that each and every person has his own virtue which is taken into consideration so
that positive outcome can be achieved towards the society. The act was also judged on the
basis of the intention for the situation which he was seeing at the time of killing someone.
The act which took place was not ethical and it has given negative impact on the accused.
This also made him sad and habitually he analyzed that it was unethical and also reacted with
his own virtues (West, 2018).
The outcome of his thinking pattern he committed murder. The action was also stated
by considering the ethical theories so that both the acts can be habitual for accuse. Virtue
theory was concerned with the concept that actions are the habits of a person. It is the
personality trait which makes a person different. It should be taken into consideration so that
better results can be achieved at large (Campbell, 2016).
Contract theory
To live in a society it is essential to consider the policies so that peace can be
maintained. If the rules are not obeyed then the negative impact can be faced and also these
can give effect on the moral of an individual. For instance: to kill a person is considered as
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Amin Sthapit murder trial
unethical in the law. Hence, it can be stated that contract theory considers the rules related to
the society and also it is concerned to maintain peace. This theory is related to the people who
are conducting their routine activities in the society according to the rules which are
established like moral and political framework (Kehoe, 2015).
If an individual does not collaborate with each other then it can give negative impact
on the working position and also can impact the business. It has been evaluated that every
individual should collaborate to stay together so that best outcome can be attained. It can be
obligated when they behave in a moral manner with the explicit rules. These policies are
equal for every individual and these should be considered in this case. To kill a person is
considered an act which is unethical. To kill a person is morally permissible if there are no
explicit contracts.
Conclusion
The decision can be taken with the help of theories but in all cases it is not accepted.
There are some specific theories which are considered for taking action of the act which was
conducted by someone. To implement all the concepts of ethics at the same time is not
possible like judgment related to motivation is varying from each and every person. Now, at
last, it can be stated that judgment of the act depends on various different situations and also
with the related factors. The theories and concepts which are discussed help the researchers to
focus on the best act and reaction by focusing on the condition of an individual in the
incident.
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References
Alexander, J.C., 2014. The Antinomies of Classical Thought: Marx and Durkheim
(Theoretical Logic in Sociology) (Vol. 2). Routledge.
Arthur, J. (2018). Words that bind: judicial review and the grounds of modern constitutional
theory. Routledge.
Bostyn, D. H., Roets, A., & Van Hiel, A. (2016). Right-wing attitudes and moral cognition:
Are Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Dominance Orientation related to
utilitarian judgment?. Personality and Individual Differences, 96, 164-171.
Bright, D. S., Winn, B. A., & Kanov, J. (2014). Reconsidering virtue: Differences of
perspective in virtue ethics and the positive social sciences. Journal of Business
Ethics, 119(4), 445-460.
Campbell, T. D. (2016). The legal theory of ethical positivism. Routledge.
Kehoe, W. J. (2015). Marketing Ethics: Theory and Pedagogy. In Proceedings of the 1982
Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference (pp. 261-264). Springer,
Cham.
Lazar, S. (2017). Deontological Decision Theory and Agent-Centered
Options. Ethics, 127(3), 579-609.
Shestack, J. J. (2017). The philosophic foundations of human rights. In Human Rights (pp. 3-
36). Routledge.
Vinnari, M., Vinnari, E., & Kupsala, S. (2017). Sustainability Matrix: Interest Groups and
Ethical Theories as the Basis of Decision-Making. Journal of Agricultural and
Environmental Ethics, 30(3), 349-366.
West, A. (2018). After virtue and accounting ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 148(1), 21-
36.
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