From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcapital offence/crimecapital offence/crimeSCLKILLan offence that is punished by death → capital
Examples from the Corpus
capital offence/crime• Loss of privileges in peacetime; in war, a capital offence.• The word from Lilongwe now is that Chihana will be charged with sedition, a capital offence.• It is capital crime, and a black disgrace to the races of civilized mankind.• No government has ever made abortion a capital crime or executed either a pregnant woman or an abortionist for murder.• New capital crimes would include the use of firearms; hostage-taking; torture; sale of drugs to minors and racketeering. 