A thorough study must be done before the age of a "juvenile...

A thorough study must be done before the age of a "juvenile delinquent" is revised upwards or downwards to facilitate the passing of the death sentence.
Bar Council Legal Aid Centre (Kuala Lumpur) chairman K. Ragunath said legal provisions should not be changed just because of one or two cases of violent crime.
"It is unfair to call for a review based on several isolated incidents. In fact, 18 as the cut-off age was done after a study," he said.
His comments followed a call by High Court judge Datuk S. Augustine Paul for a review of the provision in the Juvenile Courts Act 1947 which bars juveniles from being sentenced to death.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, said Judge Paul's suggestion was a "fair comment" and the government will study the matter.
Malaysian Human Rights Commissioner Prof Datuk Hamdan Adnan said society should help children to grow and not hang them at an early age.
"The age issue and the legal provision should not be taken in isolation just because one or two violent crime cases are sensationalised by the media," he said.