Death penalty no longer automatic for some offences: DPM Teo

SINGAPORE: -- The death penalty will be changed, allowing judges discretion to impose life imprisonment in certain specific instances of drug trafficking and murder.

For drug trafficking, two 'specific, tightly-defined' conditions must both be met, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said in Parliament on Monday.

First, the person must have only played the role of a courier, and not have been involved in any other activity related to drug supply or distribution.

Second, the trafficker must also have co-operated with anti-narcotics authorities in a "substantive" way, or has a mental disability that "substantially impairs" his appreciation of the gravity of the act.

The death penalty will remain in most circumstances, such as for drug kingpins and distributors, said DPM Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

Source: http://www.straitsti...ory_820325.html

-- Straits Times 2012-07-09

Shame this wasn't enacted before they hung young 25y/o Aussie Van Nguyen in 2005 after it was established he was simply a mule and had fully cooperated with police and investigators, showed great remorse and was fully rehabilitated after 3 and half years of incarceration.

A cold blooded judicial murder it was. RIP Van Nguyen

I'm wondering what brought on this change of mind? They executed a father of 2 young kids a few years ago for smuggling 100 grams of marihuana into the country.

Very harsh to sentence someone to death, personally i think that's a crime in itself. Glad to see there waking up to the fact that not every crim needs to die only the sickos.

i didnt know singapore had a death penalty at all!

its a small improvement to not kill 'mules', but over-all, its still archaic!

what a stupid world we live in where drug dealers get death penalty and pharmaceutical companies get billions!!

Surely anyone who is stupid enough to be a drug mule in S.E. Asia (where death penalties for drugs are common) can be classed as having a "mental disability".

duplicate removed.

As a deterrent against drugs and crime, Singapore indeed has a successful record. But in a Human context, many dislike the death penalty for murder as well as drug offences. In the 1st World Countries that have no severe penalties the drug problems kill many more than just the offenders, as their crimes against the innocent and elderly to feed their habits and power their lifestyle is rampant! Maybe Singapore is actually saving more lives by the Death penalty. I must say that i do feel safe when i travel there, even if i am scared to even chew gum.