The abolition of the death penalty
Archive theme
The association places countries in four states: retentionist, abolitionist in practice — no executions for at least ten years —, abolitionist for ordinary crimes, and abolitionist for all crimes. Moving from one state to the next is almost always slow: first the executions stop, then the law changes.
This page collects the news on abolitions, legislative reforms, constitutional rulings and changes of state. The current legal status of every country is in the database.
Latest news
JUNE 9, 2016Burkina FasoDEATH PENALTYBURKINA FASO: CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS PUSH FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
About ten civil society groups in Burkina Faso launched a campaign aimed at pushing for the abolition of
MAY 27, 2016NauruDEATH PENALTYNAURU: DEATH PENALTY REMOVED FROM STATUTE BOOKS
the Nauruan government announced that the country’s parliament had passed a number of laws updating its criminal code to bring it more into line with modern international human rights standards.
- MAY 26, 2016DEATH PENALTY
CONNECTICUT (USA): STATE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY, INCLUDING FOR DEATH-ROW INMATES
The Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld 5-2 its 2015 decision to abolish the state’s death penalty, including for the 11 men on Connecticut’s death row.
- MAY 26, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. State Supreme Court Upholds Abolishment Of Death Penalty, Including For Death-Row Inmates.
USA - Connecticut. State Supreme Court Upholds Abolishment Of Death Penalty, Including For Death-Row Inmates.
MARCH 25, 2016MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: THREE MEN HANGED FOR MURDER IN 'SECRETIVE' EXECUTION
Malaysia has executed three men for murder, their lawyer said, in what rights groups called a “secretive”
- MARCH 11, 2016UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. Lawmaker ends push to abolish death penalty.
USA - Utah. Lawmaker ends push to abolish death penalty.
- MARCH 9, 2016KentuckyDEATH PENALTY
USA - Kentucky. A bill to abolish the death penalty has been defeated by the House Judiciary Committee on a 8-9 vote
USA - Kentucky. A bill to abolish the death penalty has been defeated by the House Judiciary Committee on a 8-9 vote
- MARCH 3, 2016New HampshireDEATH PENALTY
USA - New Hampshire. The Senate defeated a proposal in a 12-12 tie to repeal the state’s death penalty
USA - New Hampshire. The Senate defeated a proposal in a 12-12 tie to repeal the state’s death penalty
- MARCH 2, 2016UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. The Senate voted today to approve a bill that scraps the death penalty.
USA - Utah. The Senate voted today to approve a bill that scraps the death penalty.
- MARCH 1, 2016DEATH PENALTY
UTAH (USA): SENATE CASTS PRELIMINARY VOTE TO REPEAL DEATH PENALTY
The Senate voted 20-9 to preliminarily approve a bill that would ban prosecutors from seeking capital
- MARCH 1, 2016UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. Utah Senate casts preliminary vote to repeal death penalty.
USA - Utah. Utah Senate casts preliminary vote to repeal death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 24, 2016OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Former prison officials join anti-death penalty group
USA - Ohio. Former prison officials join anti-death penalty group
- FEBRUARY 23, 2016DEATH PENALTY
UTAH (USA): SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES BILL TO END THE DEATH PENALTY
The Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement, and Criminal Justice Committee, led by Republicans, voted
FEBRUARY 23, 2016ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: GOVT TO ELIMINATE DEATH PENALTY - MNANGAGWA
Zimbabwe is making significant strides towards the elimination of the death penalty from its statutes as
- FEBRUARY 23, 2016UtahDEATH PENALTY
USA - Utah. Senate Committee, Led By Republicans, Passes Bill To End The Death Penalty.
USA - Utah. Senate Committee, Led By Republicans, Passes Bill To End The Death Penalty.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Orthodox Jewish Organization Calls for an End to Capital Punishment
USA - Orthodox Jewish Organization Calls for an End to Capital Punishment
- FEBRUARY 10, 2016South DakotaDEATH PENALTY
USA - South Dakota. The Senate State Affairs committee has defeated a measure to repeal the death penalty
USA - South Dakota. The Senate State Affairs committee has defeated a measure to repeal the death penalty
- JANUARY 29, 2016NebraskaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nebraska. Judge rejects legal action in Nebraska death-penalty vote.
USA - Nebraska. Judge rejects legal action in Nebraska death-penalty vote.
- JANUARY 28, 2016MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. Missouri Senate committee votes to abolish death penalty.
USA - Missouri. Missouri Senate committee votes to abolish death penalty.
- JANUARY 28, 2016DelawareDEATH PENALTY
USA - Delaware. Bill to abolish Delaware's death penalty failed to clear the House.
USA - Delaware. Bill to abolish Delaware's death penalty failed to clear the House.
JANUARY 19, 2016ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: SCRAP DEATH SENTENCE
A lecturer in the School of Law at the University of Zambia, Landilani Banda, says death sentence is “state-
- JANUARY 15, 2016CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Fewer support capital punishment in latest Field Poll.
USA - California. Fewer support capital punishment in latest Field Poll.
- JANUARY 14, 2016ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA SHOULD ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Florence Chibwesha, Director of the Human Rights Commission of Zambia told the Committee on Legal
JANUARY 13, 2016ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: OUTLAW DEATH PENALTY, URGES PRISON CHIEF
the Zambia Prisons Services submitted before the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs that the law on
JANUARY 4, 2016DEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: HRC RECOMMENDS ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY
The Human Rights Commission in a letter to the President recommended the abolition of the death penalty
- JANUARY 1, 2016HaitiDEATH PENALTY
The Constitution of the Republic of Haiti (1987) at Art. 20 states:
The Constitution of the Republic of Haiti (1987) at Art. 20 states:
- JANUARY 1, 2016El SalvadorDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished in El Salvador in 1983 for all crimes
The death penalty was abolished in El Salvador in 1983 for all crimes
- JANUARY 1, 2016PeruDEATH PENALTY
Peru has been abolitionist for common crimes since 1979, when the last execution was held.
Peru has been abolitionist for common crimes since 1979, when the last execution was held.
- JANUARY 1, 2016VenezuelaDEATH PENALTY
In 1863 Venezuela formally abolished the death penalty, making it the first modern state to do so.
In 1863 Venezuela formally abolished the death penalty, making it the first modern state to do so.
- JANUARY 1, 2016ParaguayDEATH PENALTY
The Constitution of Paraguay (1992) at Art. 4,
The Constitution of Paraguay (1992) at Art. 4, "The Right to life," states in part: "The death penalty is abolished."