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
- APRIL 19, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Parliament's justice commission passes a draft law...
Parliament's justice commission passes a draft law on the death penalty that would abolish capital punishment except in times of war or the threat of war or for crimes of terrorism
- APRIL 16, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
The Committees on Revision of Laws and Human Rights...
The Committees on Revision of Laws and Human Rights of the Philippine House of Representatives will meet on April 24 to vote on the abolition of the death penalty law, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said
- APRIL 16, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
A survey held in March, showed a 60 percent support...
A survey held in March, showed a 60 percent support for execution, but Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Parish Pastoral Care (ECPPC), said he was confident that the latest Pulse Asia survey would not dampen the con
- APRIL 15, 2002RussiaDEATH PENALTY
A number of Russian renowned scientists, writers and...
A number of Russian renowned scientists, writers and public figures have sent a letter to the State Duma, calling for the abolition of the death penalty
- APRIL 12, 2002SingaporeDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment in Singapore has long been shrouded...
Capital punishment in Singapore has long been shrouded in silence, with little public debate about the issue and even less information on how the process is carried out
- APRIL 9, 2002RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Russian judiciary community will support the abolition...
The Russian judiciary community will support the abolition of the death penalty
- MARCH 27, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
The Council of State revealed its opinion on the issue...
The Council of State revealed its opinion on the issue upon the request by the Prime Ministry
- MARCH 24, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk has said "A solution...
Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk has said "A solution will be brought to capital punishment in the next three years
- MARCH 19, 2002SpainDEATH PENALTY
During the 58th UN Commission on Human Rights, H
During the 58th UN Commission on Human Rights, H
- MARCH 15, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
A move to abolish capital punishment has suddenly snowballed...
A move to abolish capital punishment has suddenly snowballed in both chambers of Congress as some of its most vocal proponents have changed their minds
- MARCH 15, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
Although majority of his colleagues want the Death...
Although majority of his colleagues want the Death Penalty Law abolished, Senator Rodolfo Biazon is for its retention
- MARCH 11, 2002PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
Fifteen senators filed a bill to repeal the Death Penalty...
Fifteen senators filed a bill to repeal the Death Penalty Law and replace capital punishment with 30 years of imprisonment without parole as a penalty for heinous crimes
- MARCH 1, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Ramkavar Azatakan Party of Armenia [RAPA] said...
The Ramkavar Azatakan Party of Armenia [RAPA] said it would support the abolition of the death penalty in the republic on condition that an exception will be done for the criminals who committed the terrorist act in the Armenian parliament on October 27,
- FEBRUARY 28, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
Capital punishment in Armenia should be replaced by...
Capital punishment in Armenia should be replaced by life imprisonment, Arthur Bagdasaryan, Orinats Erkir (Legal state) parliamentary faction leader told the national press-club
- FEBRUARY 27, 2002FranceDEATH PENALTY
Pierre Brana, the member of French Parliament and EU...
Pierre Brana, the member of French Parliament and EU Commission, who leaded the French delegation during a visit in Turkey said that lifting of capital punishment was a "sine qua non" condition for Turkey's EU membership
- FEBRUARY 26, 2002SerbiaDEATH PENALTY
Serbis's parliament abolished the death penalty as...
Serbis's parliament abolished the death penalty as part of a wider criminal law reform
- FEBRUARY 26, 2002ZimbabweDEATH PENALTY
"The campaign of the Zimbabwe Association of Crime...
"The campaign of the Zimbabwe Association of Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation (Zacro) for the abolition of the death penalty (it started in 1993 ndr) is continuing and slowly, people are beginning to respond
- FEBRUARY 21, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Armenian National Assembly is to ratify the European...
The Armenian National Assembly is to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights and the provision of its sixth protocol to unconditionally abolish capital punishment, as the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided that all member-count
- FEBRUARY 21, 2002LatviaDEATH PENALTY
Latvia's Saeima [Unicameral Parliament] turned over...
Latvia's Saeima [Unicameral Parliament] turned over draft amendments to several laws that are to be harmonized with the international protocol aimed at the abolition of the death penalty to parliamentary commissions
- FEBRUARY 21, 2002TürkiyeDEATH PENALTY
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action...
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister and Nationalist Action Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli reiterated that the death penalty dispute would not cause any problems in the coalition government
- FEBRUARY 15, 2002RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Russian State Duma (lower house) adopted an appeal...
The Russian State Duma (lower house) adopted an appeal to the president Vladimir Putin initiated by member of the People's Deputy parliamentary group Arkady Paskayev, saying it deems it too early "to ratify Protocol No
- FEBRUARY 14, 2002FijiDEATH PENALTY
Fiji is considering abolishing the death penalty for...
Fiji is considering abolishing the death penalty for treason, on the eve of the treason trial of George Speight, who led a coup in 2000
- FEBRUARY 12, 2002LatviaDEATH PENALTY
The cabinet of ministers approved draft amendments...
The cabinet of ministers approved draft amendments to the Criminal Code, Criminal Law and the law on the enactment of the criminal law in order to bring this legislation in line with the international protocol on the abolition of the death penalty
- FEBRUARY 12, 2002FijiDEATH PENALTY
The Fijian Cabinet agreed to amend the penal code to...
The Fijian Cabinet agreed to amend the penal code to remove the death penalty for treason charges [capital punishment was scrapped for most crimes in 1967, but was retained for treason and piracy]
- FEBRUARY 9, 2002RussiaDEATH PENALTY
Vladimir Kalamanov, presidential human rights envoy...
Vladimir Kalamanov, presidential human rights envoy in Chechnya, expressed mixed feelings about the ban on the death penalty in Russia
- FEBRUARY 8, 2002RussiaDEATH PENALTY
The Duma committee for legislation recommended to the...
The Duma committee for legislation recommended to the lower chamber of the Russian parliament the ratification of Protocol No
- FEBRUARY 7, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
Various parliamentary factions stated their support...
Various parliamentary factions stated their support for the abolition of the death penalty at a parliamentary briefing, however all said that an exception must be made for the terrorists accused of the October 27, 1999 attack on the Armenian Parliament
- FEBRUARY 6, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The People's Party of Armenia (PPA) considers the abolition...
The People's Party of Armenia (PPA) considers the abolition of capital punishment premature in a country where top-ranking officials recently fell victim to terror
- FEBRUARY 6, 2002SerbiaDEATH PENALTY
Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister Dragan Djurovic...
Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister Dragan Djurovic said that the death sentence is soon to be abolished in Montenegro
- FEBRUARY 4, 2002ArmeniaDEATH PENALTY
The Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly...
The Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Gagik Aslanyan is against abolition of capital punishment in the country