Death penalty must not be abolished - IMANI

Europa

October 26, 2016 7:04 AM

Amnesty International, Ghana has often entreated the state to take appropriate steps to expunge the death sentence through a referendum.

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Policy Think Tank, IMANI Ghana has said it is opposed to calls for the death penalty to be abolished.

Even though Ghana has not undertaken any executions since 1993, the number of death sentences as at 2015, was 18.

As of December 31 last year, 137 people, including three women, were on death row in Ghana, seven of whom are foreign nationals.

Amnesty International Ghana, has often entreated the state to take appropriate steps to expunge the death sentence through a referendum.

Director of Amnesty International Ghana Lawrence Amesu had earlier said “[The] death penalty must be abolished. It must be taken out from all legal documents of the country.”

But speaking at a debate organised by the Ghana Growth and Development Platform (GGDP) on the election of MMDCEs and the abolition of the death penalty, Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Kofi Bentil, said it will not be ideal for government to abolish the death penalty.

He believes society should be able to differentiate what constitutes a crime that requires a death penalty sentence.

“As a principle we [IMANI Ghana] do not think that abolishing the death penalty is a good thing.”

Mr. Bentil believes “not every member of the society deserves to be around.”

“When they have crossed a certain line and they cannot be of use to the society but are likely to constitute a terrible blight on society then under the principle of the social contract and in the interest of everybody else, it may be better for us to take them out of society,” he said.

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