Push for clear line on death penalty
Cynthia Banham; 23/9/08
Pressure is mounting on the Rudd Government from the Labor back bench to adopt a tougher stand against the death penalty. With three Australians on death row in Indonesia - including the 22-year-old convicted drug mule Scott Rush - a push is on for the Government to voice more publicly throughout the region its position as an abolitionist country. The NSW MP Chris Hayes has lodged a notice of motion in Parliament calling on the Government to take a number of steps, including passing laws making it illegal for states and territories to reintroduce the death penalty. The current legal position means states and territories could reintroduce it, should they wish.
Tags: Australia, Capital Punishment