Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was pleased to learn of the judgement of the Supreme Court of India

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was pleased to learn of the judgement of the Supreme Court of India setting aside the death sentences imposed on 15 convicted criminals. In the case, appeal processes led to the condemned men spending up to 12 years awaiting execution. The Court ruled that the imposition of the death penalty did not entitle authorities to further punish or torture condemned prisoners and they were entitled to a reasonably quick process. The Court recognized the constitutional rights of all citizens of Indian – even those found guilty of heinous crimes – to fair and humane treatment. However, the sentence stopped short of outlawing the death penalty.
Archbishop Tutu said: “The ghastly truth is that the primary reason for the court commuting the death penalties in most of these cases was that the prisoners were not executed within a reasonable quick time period”. He added: “India is a remarkable country that has many lessons to teach the rest of the world about compassion and our shared humanity. For such a country to continue to legitimise killing is incongruous and unseemly – besides being barbaric.
“The death penalty diminishes the humanity of societies that continue to practice it. God made human beings for inter-dependency and love. What distinguishes us from other species is our intrinsic ability to reach out, reconcile and forgive.
“The death penalty does not address the root causes for anti-social behavior and it does not deter others people from committing crime. It is cruel and inhuman, and should be scrapped,” Archbishop Tutu concluded.