The legal problem stems from a controversial 1994 judgment...

The legal problem stems from a controversial 1994 judgment that was made by the Privy Council in London, when it ruled that it is cruel and unjust punishment to keep prisoners on death row for more than 5 years after their conviction, and their sentences must be commuted to life. But governments complain that the cumbersome appeals process - especially at an international level - is easy for deft lawyers to stretch beyond the 5-year limit. According to another 1993 ruling of the Privy Council, local courts have to complete appeals of death row inmates in one year and appeals to the London-based Law Lords in another year, while applications to human rights bodies should not take more than 18 months.