Govt team to get views on death penalty
By HELEN TARAWA
A GOVERNMENT team will consult further with the people regarding the law on the death penalty, in particular the method of execution to be used, Justice Minister and Attorney-General Davis Steven says.
Steven told The National that Justice Secretary Dr Eric Kwa would lead the team.
He also said 12 people were currently on death row.
“I’ve been working on the death penalty submission mainly because it’s my duty as the attorney-general to reflect the position of the law, especially in this case where the courts have already imposed the penalty,” he said.
“I have gone to NEC to approve the method of execution (so) that the implementing agency can implement the court decisions.”
The five methods recommended by officials tasked to advise the Government are hanging, electrocution (electric chair), lethal injection, beheading and shooting.
Steven said Cabinet wanted to move on the issue given the social and community interest in the subject and the history of the law inherited and maintained since independence.
“Given the international concern on the subject, whether the death penalty is a deterrent or not, the NEC directed my department to take the matter to the community for broader public consultation on the question of whether the death penalty should be allowed as part of criminal law and available under the criminal justice system.
“That should allay some concerns especially those expressed by our international bilateral partners, including the United Nations, European Union, Australia and others.”
3 comments
To KILL someone to tell others that killing is wrong! Dead penalty is not a deterrent and PNG will not be the richest black Christian Nation as Marape- Stiven government is alluding to. Give them life imprisonment and let us learn from other countries who apply death penalty and learn if it serves in the long term as a deterrent.
Morally, killing is wrong and the sacredness of life is a gift from God so let the murderers be judged by God, the giver of life and the murderers be given life imprisonment so the world will know PNG is a Christian Nation. If death Penalty will be implement in the five methods of killing recommended; hanging, electrocution (electric chair), lethal injection, beheading and shooting. Then our MPs should not be praying before the Parliament sessions as legislators, remove Christian principles adopted and enshrined in PNG constitution and remove the name of God in our PNG National Anthem as well as the National Pledge and PNG should not observe the National Day of Prayer and Repentance on the 26 of August annually as a Public Holiday. So the Christians around the world will know we are not hypocrites.
Who has the right to kill or take the life of another murderer in the name of death penalty? Is it the government of PNG, the Justice System or the law enforcers? Let your conscience judge you for passing the law in PNG Parliament and implementing it.
Why go through all of the methods of execution of treating us as the colonial civilization of the past.
– hanging, beheading and lethal injection?????? NO!!
I agree with the idea of death penalty but disagree with all the other methods. Shooting would be okay, at least we keep our dignity as human beings and executed.
I suggest the government should implement the Law so that criminal elements and those got innocent lives of people should also meet the same fate so that justice prevail. The other thing is, lets look at the country like Singapore, is a country just like what is happening in the heart of the city, Port Moresby and elsewhere, the country’s leader late Lee Kuan Yew was the one who introduced strict death penalty and that has changed the country and Singapore is now one of the fast growing city in the world. Why cant we enforce the law?
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