Stay order on death penalty extended

11 Feb, 2021

The Supreme Court today (11) extended the stay order on the decision by former President Maithripala Sirisena to implement the death penalty on four drug convicts.

The court instructed that the stay order on the former President?s decision be extended until 7 September 2021.

In 2019, former President Sirisena announced that the death penalty must be imposed against four drug convicts to end increasing addiction problems in the country.

In August 2019, the former President revealed that he was told that the Bill against the death penalty is not legal.

He said that the Attorney General (AG) had informed him that a private member?s bill submitted to Parliament by a government member is not legal.

The Supreme Court thereafter rejected three petitions challenging the private member?s bill presented to Parliament against the implementation of the death penalty. (Colombo Gazette)

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