Sri Lanka should abolish the death penalty, keeping with the nation's commitment to improve its human rights protection, the country's human rights body today recommended to President Maithripala Sirisena.
In a letter to the President, the Human Rights Commission (HRCSL) said the death penalty is imperative for Sri Lanka in recognition of the growing global recognition that the death penalty seriously violates several human rights including the right to life and freedom from cruel and inhuman punishment, is an extreme and irreversible punishment and is ineffective as a deterrent to crime, the Colombo Gazette reported.
The HRCSL drew Sirisena's attention to the Second Optional Protocol to the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly by resolution 441728 of 15th December 1989 which calls for the abolition of the death penalty.
"lts Preamble declares that the abolition of the death penalty contributes to the enhancement of human dignity and progressive development of human rights. Ln keeping with Sri Lanka's commitment to improving human rights protection in the country we recommend that Sri Lanka accede to the Protocol and take steps to abolish the death penalty," the letter said.
"It is the view of the Commission that in view of the serious flaws which exist in the criminal justice system coupled with Sri Lanka, unlike other countries, not having a process permitting the reopening of a criminal case after exhaustion of the appeals procedures, there is a serious risk of a miscarriage of justice," the HRCSL said.
The Commission further noted that in the US, Canada and the UK there have been several occasions where people wrongly convicted have been released from death row or prison decades later.
