Delicate issue under scrutiny

The minister of interior has just announced that a committee formed by the Cabinet will scrutinise the moratorium on death penalty, which has frozen execution of death penalties since 2006, when the last execution was carried out.

The issue of death penalty has its pro and con camps.

While death penalty is considered by its proponents a deterrent from crime, opponents point to flaws in the justice system — especially since the rise of the more sophisticated DNA tests that led to some exonerations.

A report released on April 18, 2012, by the prestigious National Research Council of the National Academies, based on a review of more than three decades of research, concluded that studies claiming a deterrent effect on murder rates from the death penalty are fundamentally flawed.

Said the report: “The committee concludes that research to date on the effect of capital punishment on homicide is not informative about whether capital punishment decreases, increases, or has no effect on homicide rates.... Consequently, claims that research demonstrates that capital punishment decreases or increases the homicide rate by a specified amount or has no effect on the homicide rate should not influence policy judgements about capital punishment.”

Not much help here in helping one make one’s mind up.

Whatever the case, some ugly crimes have been committed in Jordan recently, so the government is probably acting under pressure from the public now.

While people want to see the phenomenon stemmed, officials need to tread a thin line between allaying citizens’ fears, or anger, and upholding the country’s stand and recognition worldwide as wanting to be among the increasing number of nations that abolish death penalty.

Such move would be in deference to the Kingdom’s obligations under existing international norms. It could also be taken in view of the fact that death penalty does not seem to actually contribute to lowering crime rates.

Instead of executing people, the country has to deal with the causes of crime and try to address them.

Poverty, ignorance and a justice system that by the minister’s admission has loopholes can be often blamed for crimes, of all kinds.

Education, awareness, reinforcing the value system of yore, good neighbourliness and good living conditions often keep crime at bay.

His Majesty King Abdullah told an Italian newspaper  in 2005 that, “in coordination with the European Union, we would like to modify our Penal Code. Jordan could soon become the first country in the Middle East without capital punishment.”

This is a serious commitment that the government should take into consideration upon reviewing legislation, death penalty foremost.

But irrespective of the decision, and before  any is taken, citizens have to know that laws and justice must be upheld.