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The top court of Sri Lanka had ordered stay to the petition against the President’s plan regarding restoration of hanging as a punitive measure against then offenders. The punishment mechanism had been temporarily ceased in Sri Lanka since 1976. The President of the nation declared that he had approved and signed the death penalty of four people convicted for committing a drug-related crime. Such bid of the President, Maithripala Sirisena had led to the filing of fifteen petitions in the Supreme Court of the Indian Ocean country. The Apex Court consisting of a three-judge bench had ordered a stay order till the time of hearing of the said petitions. The order of stay is extended to December 9th.
The advocates of human rights consider capital punishment as antithetic to human right and portray an extremity of cruelty and denigration among the citizens and the law itself. Sirisena is reported to sign the approval for the capital punishment for the offenders on June 26th and the punishment is supposed to take place within some weeks before he leaves his office as the President. It is to be noted that the President is not nominating himself for re-election and thus will be soon exiting his office. The last hangman of the nation has retired in 2014, and later it is reported that the appointment has been made, by selecting two candidates out of twenty-six.
However, the officials have not disclosed the names, owing to the fear that they might be attacked. The death warrants will have its validity till the office of the President is occupied by Sirisena and it can be withdrawn anytime by the next president. Sirisena justified his actions on the ground that there are two lakh drug-addicts in the nation and twenty-four thousand offenders who have been jailed are drug offenders. The ruling party are in favour of the Sirisena’s bid while the opponents remained silent on the issue.
Photo credit: supremecourt.lk
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