Should death be implemented?

JUL 13 2018

There is a saying that if punishments are severe, the wrongdoers will think twice before committing an offence, which will in turn result in creating a better society.

Several countries that have adopted this approach have been successful in maintaining law and order to high level.

 The topic of death penalty has created somewhat of a debate in Sri Lanka after the Government announced that it was mulling implementing the punishment for drug related crimes.

Amnesty International (AI) has condemned the announcement and has urged Sri Lanka to pull back any moves made on implementing death penalty.

AI had also pointed out that implementing death penalty for drug related crimes was a violation of International Law and added that Sri Lanka would brazenly defy its international commitments if the move was implemented.
There are many aspects that have to be considered before death penalty is implemented.

The first is whether it is indeed necessary.

Since of late, Sri Lanka has been in the news for many drug related raids. In fact, the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention announced that it had joined forces with the Police and the Armed Forces to nab drug smugglers and traffickers. Police presence has increased in several parts of Colombo especially at night to nab the offenders.

The increase in drug related incidents is indeed a matter of concern. However, nabbing small time smugglers and traffickers, and punishing them is not the solution. The authorities need to target the king-pins behind the racket.

The worth of heroin captured the past few days alone runs into billions. Authorities should strengthen the investigations and zero in on the bigger, powerful culprits involved in the mafia. What if the seized items are just the tip of the iceberg?

Secondly, before moving towards implementing the death penalty, the Government authorities have to conduct a thorough study on the existing loopholes that allow these groups to be active.

These loopholes could be in the law, or could be in the implementation of the law.

Thirdly, the topic of death penalty is very sensitive owing to the nature of the punishment. Several countries have done away with death penalties due to various factors.

It is worthy to note that Sri Lanka suspended the implementation of death penalty 40 years ago.

As warned by the AI, Sri Lanka could also face international repercussions if it decides to go ahead with the death penalty. Being a signatory in various international bodies including the United Nations, Sri Lanka should be mindful of its position on the international arena.

Before worrying about death penalties, Sri Lanka should focus on proper implementation of the existing laws and regulations. For instance, the Bus Lane that was allocated for the buses during peak hours is not strictly implemented.

Even though the garbage menace is somewhat sorted, the Government is yet to come up with a mechanism for waste disposal.

Colombo’s traffic congestion has resulted in the loss of millions of rupees.
As far as the judicial system is concerned the prolonged Court hearings, some of which last for years, is an important aspect that needs a solution.
The overcrowded prisons are another issue.

It is not necessary for Sri Lanka to implement that which was stopped four decades ago. What we need is a proper implementation of the existing laws. Simple as that.