Death Penalty News

Adding a compensation clause to the Road Transport Act will help victims avoid a long-drawn-out civil suit, minister says There is no necessity to introduce the death penalty into the Road Transport Act 1987 for driving under the influence, according to Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke. Loke said existing laws were sufficient to prosecute serious offences and that offenders could still be charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, where applicable.

Authorities in breakaway Abkhazia* plan to lift its moratorium on capital punishment in 2020 as tougher sentences are brought in against drug crime. The de facto parliament of breakaway Abkhazia has adopted a new law which imposes tougher punishments for selling large quantities of drugs, including life sentence and even death penalty. The law also provides for other draconian measures against drug-related crimes, including abolishing the right to pardon and the rule of early release, as well as barring the person’s from occupying public offices within 3 years of release. Under the new law, driving a car while high also qualifies as a criminal offense.  The sentence for this will be a fine of 600,000 rubles (USD 9,200) and being stripped of the right to occupy a public office for 1 year. The moratorium on the death penalty in Abkhazia was introduced in 2007. * Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a de facto and partially recognized repub...

TAIWAN: Taiwan plans to ramp up punishments for those who cause a fatal accident while drink driving, including the death penalty for the most egregious cases, sparking an outcry from abolition and rights groups. The cabinet on Thursday (Mar 28) approved a draft amendment to the Criminal Code that would make death by drink driving an indictable murder offence, potentially punishable by death if the deed is deemed "intentional", officials said. The proposal needs parliamentary approval but comes after a spate of high profile deaths that have generated widespread outrage. Currently the maximum sentence in Taiwan for causing a death while drink behind the wheel is 10 years. The new proposal would increase jail sentences for repeat offenders who commit a new offence within five years of their first conviction. They face up to a life sentence for causing a death and 12 years for grave injuries. "Cases of drunk driving leading to death are rampant .....