Abolition of death penalty!! The Law Commission of India recommended that the death penalty be abolished for all crimes other than terrorism-related offences and waging war against the country. The Law Commission comprises a Chairman, three full-time members, two ex-officio members who represent the government, and three part-time members.

Major Highlights

• In its report, submitted to the government by commission chairman and former Delhi High Court Chief Justice A P Shah, the 10-member panel concluded that while death penalty does not serve the penological goal of deterrence any more than life imprisonment, concern is often raised that abolition of capital punishment for terror-related offences and waging war will affect national security.
•  Law Commission report was  submitted to the Law Ministry, which is the administrative ministry for the commission, no action — including an announcement that the government would not accept the recommendation — can be expected any time soon. The reason is that the government is of the firm opinion that with the threat of terrorism still very high, the time is not ripe for any tinkering with the death penalty.
• The Commission has also questioned the “rarest of rare” doctrine established by the SC, adding that the administration of the death penalty, even within the “restrictive environment of rarest of rare doctrine”, was constitutionally unsustainable.

Expected Questions

Who is the law secretary of India?

Name the Law minister of India.