Parliament approves death penalty for major drug trafficking cases
With the committee’s changes incorporated, the amendment was passed with 65 votes in favour and none against.
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Parliament on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Drugs Act introducing the death penalty for drug smugglers in cases where the Supreme Court bench reaches a unanimous decision.
The government proposed amendments to the Act in December last year to strengthen penalties for certain drug offences and introduce heavy fines. The initial bill included provisions for the death penalty. The bill was moved by PNC MP Yusuf Rasheed on behalf of the government and was later revised by the parliamentary committee.
With the committee’s changes incorporated, the amendment was passed with 65 votes in favour and none against.
Previously, the maximum penalty under the Drugs Act was 25 years’ imprisonment, with no provision for capital punishment.
Under the newly approved amendment, the death penalty may be imposed in three categories of offences involving significant quantities of drugs:
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1-
Possession of more than 350 grams of cannabis
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2-
Possession of more than 250 grams of dimorphine
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3-
Possession of more than 100 grams of any Schedule One drug other than cannabis or dimorphine
The amendment further states that, for the death penalty to apply, the drugs in question must have been “imported when the person entered Maldives.”
Schedule One lists 139 substances, including drugs commonly found in Maldivian society.
The death penalty may only be carried out after completion of lower court proceedings and if all Supreme Court judges unanimously uphold the sentence. The Court must review all legal issues and the circumstances of the case before issuing its decision.
If even one Supreme Court judge refuses to uphold the death penalty, the alternative punishment will apply. This includes life imprisonment and a fine ranging from MVR 100,000 to MVR 10 million.
