A blot on progressive societies - The Hindu

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Published: October 23, 2013 00:00 IST | Updated: October 23, 2013 05:53 IST

A blot on progressive societies

Monica incent
The use of the death penalty undermines human dignity; there exists no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value; and miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable

The last 20 !ears ha"e seen considerable pro#ress on abolition o$ the death penalt!% The #ro&in# #lobal trend to&ards abolition is b! $ar encoura#in#% 'ppro(i)atel! 150 o$ the 1*3 )e)ber+states o$ the United ,ations ha"e abolished the death penalt! or introduced a )oratoriu) either in la& or in practice% The cruel, inhu)an and de#radin# punish)ent - a colonial i)portation i)posed upon indi#enous .ustice s!ste)s - is certainl! a blot on pro#ressi"e and ci"ilised societies% Portu#al, a $or)er colonial po&er, &as the $irst in /urope to end the death penalt! in 1*01% 2hile the $rancophone as &ell as 3o))on&ealth countries la# behind in abolishin# the anachronistic and barbaric $or) o$ punish)ent, the lusophone countries abolished the capital punish)ent in la& in the 1**0s% Restrictive use 'lthou#h the death penalt! is not outla&ed, international la& ad"ocates restricti"e use and propounds a polic! direction not to dela! or pre"ent the abolition% The &illin#ness o$ states to rati$! and co))it the)sel"es to international le#al obli#ations prohibitin# capital punish)ent is steadil! #ro&in#% Toda!, )ore than 40 countries are part! to specialised international treaties, includin# the International 3on"ention on 3i"il and Political 5i#hts 6I33P57 and the Optional Protocol to the International 3on"ention on 3i"il and Political 5i#hts as &ell as re#ional instru)ents includin# Protocol ,o 1 and Protocol ,o 13 o$ the /uropean 3on"ention on 8u)an 5i#hts, and Protocol to the ')erican 3on"ention on 8u)an 5i#hts &hich calls $or abolition o$ the death penalt!% 9urther, international cri)inal tribunals established b! the United ,ations $or the $or)er :u#osla"ia, 5&anda, Sierra ;eone, ;ebanon as &ell as the International 3ri)inal 3ourt e(clude the death penalt! as a punish)ent% 3ountries in South and 3entral ')erica &ere pioneers in abolishin# the death penalt!% ' )a.orit! o$ the countries there are either abolitionists or abolitionists $or ordinar! cri)es e(cept <uate)ala 6a retentionist7 and 3uba, &hich has reported no e(ecution since 2003% 3uba also abstained $ro) the recent U%,% 5esolution callin# $or a Moratoriu) on the use o$ =eath Penalt!% The /n#lish spea>in# 3aribbean countries are lar#el! de facto abolitionists - as no e(ecutions ha"e been carried out o"er 10 !ears% 9or e(a)ple, in 'nti#ua and ?arbuda, the last e(ecution &as in 1*4*@ ?arbados 1*4A@ ?eliBe 1*4*@ =o)inica 1*41@ and Saint ;ucia 1**5% 2hile the statistics are re"ealin#, so)e states clai) that their $ailure to carr! out e(ecutions does not )ani$est an! chan#e in their polic!% The road to abolition o$ the death penalt! in the United States is rather lon#% ')on# the 32 States that allo& the death penalt!, there is a star> di$$erence in enthusias) and application as so)e States o"eruse and others barel! use it%

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A blot on progressive societies - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-blot-on-progressiv...

'lthou#h the o"erall nu)ber o$ death sentences issued has declined 6*4 in 1*** to 30 in 2004, and A1 in 2010 to A3 in 20117, it re)ains to be seen i$ the U%S% &ill abolish capital punish)ent and cha)pion &orld&ide abolition% Undisputed leader /urope, on the other hand, is clearl! the undisputed leader &ith ?elarus bein# the onl! retentionist in the continent% The /uropean UnionCs #uidelines cate#oricall! state that abolition o$ the death penalt! contributes to enhance)ent o$ hu)an di#nit! and pro#ressi"e de"elop)ent o$ hu)an ri#hts% 3ountries in '$rica and 'sia )inus the Paci$ic Island states sho& a )i(ed landscape o$ retentionists, abolitionists and de facto abolitionists% 's in other re#ions, so)e countries in these t&o re#ions also $all under the de facto abolitionist cate#or! &here there has been no e(ecution $or o"er 10 !ears% 9or e(a)ple: in <hana the last e(ecution &as carried out in 1**3@ Den!a+1*40@ Mala&i+1**2@ S&aBilandE1*4*@ ?runei =arussala)+1*50@ the Maldi"es+1*52@ and Sri ;an>a+1*01% The lo&est co))on deno)inators in the t&o re#ions tend to represent di$$erent le#al s!ste)s, traditions, cultures and reli#ious bac>#rounds% 2hile so)e o$ the retentionist countries ha"e neither abolished nor re$rained $ro) appl!in# the death penalt!, so)e note&orth! e$$orts ha"e been )ade to&ards restrictin# it% 9or instance, the '$rican 3o))ission on 8u)an and PeopleCs 5i#hts set up a 2or>in# <roup that reco))ended that the case o$ the abolitionists is )ore co)pellin# than that o$ the retentionists% Grim statistics The statistics on retentionist countries in 'sia is rather #ri) as the hi#hest nu)ber o$ e(ecutions has been recorded in 3hina, the Isla)ic 5epublic o$ Iran, the =e)ocratic 5epublic o$ Dorea, IraF, Pa>istan, Saudi 'rabia and ietna)% ,e"ertheless, there has been so)e &elco)e de"elop)ent in the re#ion that includes 3hina passin# a la& ai)ed at re)o"in# the death penalt! $or 12 non+"iolent econo)ic cri)es, a)endin# its cri)inal procedure la& to include a ri#orous re"ie& process o$ capital cases includin# recordin# o$ interro#ations, introducin# )andator! appellate hearin#s and enhancin# access to le#al aid% The Isla)ic 5epublic o$ Iran decided not to a&ard the death penalt! to .u"eniles belo& 14 &ho co))it o$$ences under the cate#ories o$ 8udud and Gisas% On the le#islati"e $ront, so)e re)ar>able decisions include those in Indian courts - declarin# that the )andator! death penalt! $or dru# tra$$ic>in# and under the 'r)s 'ct 1*5* is unconstitutional@ and the courts o$ ?an#ladesh &hich declared that the )andator! i)position o$ the death penalt! &ith no consideration $or personal circu)stances or circu)stances o$ a particular o$$ence &as unconstitutional% Sin#apore recentl! announced a re$or) o$ its le#islation pro"idin# $or the )andator! death penalt! $or dru#+related o$$ences% So)e 'sian countries ha"e also shi$ted #ear as depicted in the "otin# patterns in the U%,% <eneral 'sse)bl! 5esolutions callin# $or a Moratoriu) on the use o$ =eath Penalt!% In the $irst resolution introduced in 2000, a "ote o$ 10A in $a"our to 5A a#ainst &ith 2* abstentions &as recorded% In 2004, it &as a "ote o$ 101 in $a"our to A1 a#ainst, &ith 3A abstentions, and in the )ost recent resolution in 2012, a "ote o$ 111 in $a"our to A1 a#ainst, 3A abstentions &as recorded% It is pertinent to note that the o"erall trend in the <eneral 'sse)bl! resolutions indicates a stead! increase o$ countries "otin# in $a"our and a sharp decline o$ countries "otin# a#ainst the 5esolution% In the 'sian conte(t, $or e(a)ple, Mon#olia "oted a#ainst in 2004 but in $a"our in 2012@ Thailand "oted a#ainst in 2000 but abstained in 2012@ and Indonesia and the Maldi"es "oted a#ainst in 2004 but abstained in 2012% The Paci$ic Island states are lar#el! abolitionist or abolitionist in practiceHabolitionist $or all cri)es% 2hilst there is political &ill to&ards abolition, so)e o$ the S)all Island States lac> the resources reFuired to report on or i)ple)ent international con"entions% 9or instance, althou#h Diribati, Solo)on Islands and Tu"alu abolished the death penalt! in the 1*00s, the! ha"e not rati$ied the I33P5 and its Optional Protocol as resources are a real and pressin# concern% 3onsensus a)on# the international co))unit! on uni"ersal abolition o$ the death penalt! is clearl! loo>in# $or&ard and it is .ust about ti)e the hand$ul o$ retentionist countries #arnered the )o)entu) and sho&ed leadership in endin# the collecti"e e)barrass)ent% The use o$ the death penalt! under)ines hu)an di#nit!, there e(ists no conclusi"e e"idence o$ its deterrent "alue, and )iscarria#e o$ .ustice leadin# to its i)position is irre"ersible and irreparable% Repressive tool The abolitionist )o"e)ent has )ade re)ar>able strides in )o"in# the death penalt! debate be!ond ar#u)ents o$ so"erei#nt!@ it has established that the death penalt!, ho&e"er ad)inistered, is a repressi"e tool o$ the cri)inal .ustice s!ste) and "iolates internationall! accepted hu)an ri#hts standards o$ ri#ht to li$e% 2hile all sta>eholders in the international co))unit! should continue their collecti"e and sustained e$$orts, it is i)portant to re)e)ber that political &ill and the leadership o$ the #o"ern)ent and its parlia)entarians re)ain pi"otal in abolishin# the re)nants o$ colonial barbaris), and in entrenchin# a .ustice s!ste) that is ci"ilised and re$or)ati"e% South '$rican .ud#e Iustice 3has>alson, in his historic opinion bannin# the death penalt! in his countr!, re)ar>ed that Jthe ri#ht to li$e and di#nit! are the )ost i)portant o$ all hu)an ri#hts K and this )ust be de)onstrated b! the state in e"er!thin# it does, includin# the &a! it punishes cri)inals%L (The writer is an analyst in law, public policy and international affairs. Previously Human Rights Officer at the

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A blot on progressive societies - The Hindu

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-blot-on-progressiv...

Commonwealth ecretariat, !ondon, she is now an advocate practising in the "adurai #ench of the "adras High Court$ Printable "ersion | ,o" 1, 2013 4:A0:A4 PM | http:HH&&&%thehindu%co)Htoda!s+paperHtp+opinionHa+blot+ on+pro#ressi"e+societiesHarticle5213013%ece M The 8indu

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