Cynthia Banham; 4/12/08
There is a bipartisan push for Australia to pass laws entrenching its opposition to the death penalty, in a bid to send a strong message to the region and stave off the executions of three members of the Bali Nine. A cross-party working group against the death penalty was re-established in Parliament this week. On Tuesday it was briefed by Colin McDonald, QC, the barrister for Scott Rush, who is on death row in Indonesia. The group, which is being convened by the Labor backbencher Chris Hayes and the Liberal senator Gary Humphries, wants Parliament to enact legislation making it impossible for the states to reintroduce the death penalty. While it is abolished in all states and territories, there is nothing to stop them reviving it. Senator Humphries said: “Our main concern has been to try and get a situation occurring where we have a complete and final nailing of the coffin lid shut on the application of the death penalty in Australian law.”
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/push-to-kill-death-penalty/2008/12/03/1228257139007.html
Tags: Australia, Capital Punishment