Member of Parliament (MP) for Madina Constituency, Hon Francis-Xavier Sosu has said that the death penalty which has been imposed as mandatory punishment for murder has no place in our 21st-century.
He averred that there are about five (5) women who were sentenced to death.
“The country is unable to consider or take into account any mitigating factors that relate to murder cases involving women, including prolonged domestic violence in the hands of partners; the circumstances of the offence, or their peculiar backgrounds before sentencing women when they are convicted for murder,” Hon Francis-Xavier Sosu said in a statement to mark World Day against Death Penalty.
“Also forms part of the reasons why I have set in motion a Private Member’s Bill to amend various provisions in our Criminal and Other Offences Act (Act 29) to achieve ninety-five (95) per cent abolishing of the death penalty,” the statement affirmed.
“It is my hope and expectation that Ghana would soon achieve, at least, 95 per cent abolishing of the death penalty and become the 24th African country to abolish the death penalty from our statute books, following neighbours including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Chad the next time this Day is marked,’’ he added.
This year theme has entitled: “Women and death penalty, an invisible reality”.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Solomon Nartey
