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| Sunday, 16 March 2003 |
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Top intellects oppose death penalty More than 50 eminent academicians, lawyers, human rights activists and professionals have signed a petition opposing the re-introduction of judicial executions, pointing out that the death penalty is not the answer to controlling crime. The signatories include former Colombo University Vice Chancellor Prof. Savithri Goonesekere, eminent Lawyers Desmond Fernando, R.K.W. Goonesekere, Senior Scholars and Educationists such as Jezima Ismail, Dr. Lal Jayawardena, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Dr. Kumari Jayawardene, Prof. Osmund Jayaratne and other personalities including Sunethra Bandaranaike. Expressing their concern about crime control and law enforcement, and the serious law and order problem faced by the authorities, the signatories say: "Nowhere has the death penalty (as opposed to other punishment such as long term imprisonment) been shown to have any special power to deter crime. On the contrary, it diverts attention from the real solution, which is prompt and efficient investigation of crime followed by effective prosecution and conviction. "The death penalty is irreversible, and is known to have resulted in the execution of innocent persons. Miscarriages of justice, of which the poor and the disadvantaged are the most likely victims, can never be rectified. "It is the responsibility of an enlightened legislature to give the lead towards the adoption of rational and humane approaches to the ills of society. There is urgent need for careful and serious study of crime in Sri Lanka and the problems of investigation and law enforcement. We urge that executions not be resumed under any circumstances, and that instead real solutions to violent crime, both short and long term, be identified and pursued. |
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