April 24 MALAWI: Consensus on death penalty continuation against prisoners' wish A consensus by Malawians to uphold death penalty was in sharp contrast to wishes by some murder convicts who fought at the Constitutional Court to have it abolished. A Special Law Commission at the just ended national constitutional review in Lilongwe last week retained the death penalty, saying majority of Malawians consulted wanted it retained. However, the Constitutional Court in Blantyre that heard the prisoners case late last year, is yet to make a ruling on the matter to determine whether to uphold or abolish the capital punishment. Delegates at the conference differed on the issue, with others saying upholding the death penalty would stop people from committing murder while others said retaining it was against the same Constitution that guarantees a right to life. The murder convicts that took the case to the Constitutional Court for judicial review had advanced the same argument that the death penalty was unlawful because the Constitution guaranteed them a right to life. Noel Chalamanda, one of the lawyers that represented the convicts that could hang if the President appends his signature, said in an interview Monday that the views from Malawians the Special Law Commission consulted had no legal backing. "We made our arguments in court, backed by the law. Those views had no legal basis. I can't comment much because the court judgement is due anytime from now," Chalamanda said. The Constitutional Court in the matter heard both sides, government and the prisoners. During the national constitutional review, delegates said it was better to retain death sentence for murder convicts and remove it for convicts in treason and rape. The delegates said rape and treason convicts should be committed to life imprisonment. (source: The Daily Times)
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide
Rick Halperin Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:12:55 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide Rick Halperin