ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY

Abstract

        In 1967, when the 35^th Report was presented, only 12 countries had abolished capital punishment for all crimes in all circumstances. Today, 140 (December 2015) countries have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice. 32 Countries (India including) retains the death penalty as punishment under the law of the land.

        While the government of India scheduled several executions in 2014 (in 64 cases), none were carried out. Amnesty International recorded that at least 64 new death sentences were imposed for murder and, for the first time since the Criminal Law (Amendment Act) of 2013 came into force, rape by repeat offenders. Information reported by the Death Penalty Research Project of the National Law University in Delhi indicated that 270 people were under the sentence of death and that eight people had their mercy petitions rejected in 2014.