Jaffna Catholic lawyers solicit President not to implement death sentence

Monday, 8 July 2019 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By S.S. Selvanayagam

The Jaffna Diocesan Catholic Lawyers Association (JDCLA), in a memorandum, solicited President Maithripala Sirisena to do away with the decision to re-implement death penalty, instead of effecting a series of strong and long-term policies aimed at addressing serious crimes, including drug trafficking.

JDCLA President M. Jude Dinesh and Secretary Stanislaus Celestine, in the memorandum, have also urged the President to ratify and adopt the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), aiming at the abolition of death penalty.

They brought to his cognizance the statement highlighted by the Pope on 27 February at the World Congress against the Death Penalty. They drew attention to the fact that Pope in his statement claimed the death penalty is a cruel violation of the basic right to life, and robs people of the chance to repent and make amends for the crimes they have committed. They contended the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‹the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.›

The Pope has also pronounced that the right to life is «the source of all gifts and of all other rights» that must be protected.

JDCLA urged that therefore the death penalty is therefore a serious violation of the right to life of every person.