Capital punishment as a deterrent for illicit drugs offences, was rejected 38 to 8 by debaters who were invited by the Speaker, Lord Fakafanua, to participate in the first public debate held in the Parliament House in Nuku'alofa yesterday, 28 May. Those who argued for the right to life, said there was not any evidence to show that the death penalty was a deterrent and there were other solutions aside from executions.
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Results for death penalty
Wednesday 29 May 2024
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Friday 27 August 2021
1 comment
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Legislation to introduce the death penalty for the most serious illicit drugs offences stirred vociferous debate in the Tongan parliament yesterday evening, 26 August 2021. Although a majority of members were unhappy with death penalty clauses, they proceeded to pass the bill without the changes they wanted being written. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Friday 13 August 2021
1 comment
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga is considering a mandatory death sentence for offenders who traffic 5 kilograms or more of a Class A drug. An amendment bill tabled into Parliament yesterday also proposes the death sentence for offenders who repeatedly procure and use children in drug offences. The bill still has to go through the second and third readings before it can proceed further. From the House by Pesi Fonua.
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Wednesday 14 October 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
To date, all Pacific nations have abolished the death penalty entirely except for two, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. The World Day against the Death Penalty was jointly marked by the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions on October 9 in Nuku'alofa.
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Wednesday 13 November 2019
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A landmark court case is set to take place in the American state of Nevada over whether the state’s death penalty should exempt offenders that are “mentally-ill”. The appeal case concerns Siaosi Vanisi (49), a Tongan man who is currently on death row for murder.
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Saturday 10 October 2015
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Suva, Fiji
Today (10 October), on the occasion of the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union and its Member States reiterate our strong opposition to the use of capital punishment.
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Monday 4 May 2015
1 comment
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Lautoka, Fiji
Australia’s protest at the execution of two of its citizens in Indonesia is futile, only symbolic and definitely hypocritical, by any standard.
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Monday 8 June 2009
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Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Perpetrators of women abuse are to be held accountable for their own actions. This is not a Tongan societal problem. In old Tonga, the brothers or uncles of the abused women would descend on women abusers and beat the crap out of them, and may have even killed them in the process. But in a modern "democratic" society, we provide professional help, and then prosecute them under the law of the country as a deterrence mechanism. Unfortunately, we may have to see some of the guilty murderers hung before Tongan abusive men get the message. -Sione A. Mokofisi
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