Parliament redefines life imprisonment for drug crimes as full-life term

Parliament on Wednesday approved amendments to the Drugs Act, redefining life imprisonment for drug offences to mean imprisonment for the remainder of a person’s life, replacing the current 25-year term. The punishment will not be subject to pardon or mitigation.

The Judiciary Committee, which reviewed the bill submitted in December last year, forwarded it with major changes after a delay of one year. The amended bill passed with 65 votes in favour and none against.

Under Article 190(k) of the existing Narcotic Drugs Act, a life sentence is defined as 25 years. The committee amended this provision to state that life imprisonment means imprisonment for the entirety of a person’s life without parole or pardon.

According to the committee report, the purpose of the amendment is to clarify that life imprisonment under the Narcotics Act constitutes a sentence covering the full lifetime of the offender, given the gravity of the offences. The amendment also aims to establish that such sentences cannot be pardoned.

Another significant change made at committee stage introduces the death penalty for individuals convicted of smuggling drugs into Maldives.

An additional clause added after Section 177 of the Act states:

The amendments will come into force three months after the bill is enacted. Although Parliament passed the bill on Wednesday, it still requires approval from President Mohamed Muizzu.

Under the existing Amnesty and Commutation Act, enacted 15 years ago, seven categories of offences cannot be pardoned, including drug offences involving more than 14 grams where life imprisonment applies. However, in previous years, some presidents have reduced sentences for individuals serving 25-year terms in drug cases through legal mechanisms that allow the shortening of prison terms.