The Bill to abolish mandatory death penalty will not be tabled in this parliamentary session but only in the March 2020 session...or will the government come up with new reasons for delay...or simply making yet another U-turn.
Well, MADPET suspected that the setting up of this 'special committee' or 'Task Force' would be used as another reason for the Pakatan Harapan government to delay the abolition of even the mandatory death penalty. See MADPET media statement -‘Special Committee’ Another Excuse For Delay in Abolition of Mandatory Penalty? Delay Prejudices Many Accused Persons Whose Trial Commenced Before Abolition becomes Law
In our recent statement, Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty should happen in this Parliamentary Session- MADPET, we also pointed out that such committee could have been a year ago or before...
MADPET was concerned about the recent setting up of a special committee in September 2019 to look into alternatives to the death sentence which may end up just being yet another excuse to delay abolition of the mandatory death penalty. Such committees or task force could have been set up last year since the decision to abolish the death penalty. It could have been even earlier, for the abolition of the mandatory death penalty was an election promise of Pakatan Harapan.
Minister: Bill to repeal death penalty to be tabled in March 2020
Liew said the findings and reports of the special committee set up to study the alternative forms of punishment to the mandatory death penalty were expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“In addition, it will also study the court’s discretion in imposing punishments, taking into account the concept of restorative justice, the implications and the welfare of the victims and propose appropriate penalties for such offences,” he said in a statement here.
He said of the 11 offences that led to the mandatory death sentence, nine of them were offences under the Penal Code and two others under the Firearms (heavier penalty) Act 1971. — Bernama - Malay Mail, 10/10/2019
Bill to abolish mandatory death penalty will be tabled in March 2020
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PETALING JAYA: The bill to abolish the mandatory death penalty for 11
serious offences is expected to be tabled in the next parliamentary
sitting in March next year, according to Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong.
He said a special task force will be conducting holistic and
independent checks on the law and organising consultation sessions with
stakeholders to gather their views.
“The findings and the task force’s report will be presented to the monitoring committee before being handed over to the Cabinet.
“The study is expected to be completed in three months (by the end of
2019). The special task force had its first meeting on Sept 20,” he
said in a statement today.
The task force, formed in August, comprises representatives of
government agencies, academia, civil society and other relevant parties.
It will study the technical aspects relating to the abolition, apart from looking at alternatives to the maximum penalty.
Liew reiterated that this was in line with Pakatan Harapan’s (PH)
election manifesto and showed the government’s commitment to the
protection and preservation of human rights.
The bill to repeal the mandatory death penalty was expected to be
tabled in Parliament this month once the government had decided on
appropriate prison terms for 11 serious criminal offences covered by it.
Currently, the 11 offences fall under two acts — nine under the Penal
Code, including murder, waging war against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong
and committing terrorist acts — and two under the Firearms (Increased
Penalties) Act 1971. - Free Malaysia Today, 10/10/2019
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