Cysteine protease that plays essential roles in programmed cell death, development and innate immunity. Acts as a non-canonical executioner caspase during apoptosis: localizes in the nucleus and cleaves the nuclear structural protein lamin-A/LMNA thereby inducing nuclear shrinkage and fragmentation. Lamin-A/LMNA cleavage is required for chromatin condensation and nuclear disassembly during apoptotic execution. Plays an essential role in defense against viruses by acting as a central mediator of the ZBP1-mediated pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis (PANoptosis), independently of its cysteine protease activity. PANoptosis is a unique inflammatory programmed cell death, which provides a molecular scaffold that allows the interactions and activation of machinery required for inflammasome/pyroptosis, apoptosis and necroptosis 