ID :
155466
Thu, 12/30/2010 - 18:37
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/155466
The shortlink copeid
14 sentenced to death in Japan this year, lowest in 11 years
TOKYO, Dec. 30 Kyodo -
The number of people sentenced to death by Japanese courts in 2010 came to 14,
down 20 from last year, reflecting a decrease in heinous crimes such as murder
and a more cautious stance by the courts on handing down the death sentence, a
Kyodo News survey showed Thursday.
Of the 14, three, including a minor convicted of killing two women in Miyagi
Prefecture, were sentenced to death by the newly introduced lay judge system.
The number of death sentences given by district and high courts as well as the
Supreme Court had followed a rising path since 2000 to reach 46 in 2007. The
latest figure fell below 20 for the first time since 1999, when 16 people were
given the death sentence.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of atrocious crimes such as
murder, robbery and rape has been decreasing since hitting 11,360 in 2005,
totaling 6,989 as of the end of November this year.
The Kyodo survey also found courts gave life imprisonment to eight defendants
for whom prosecutors had sought the death penalty.
While two death row inmates were hanged this year at the instruction of former
Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, the number of convicts whose death penalty has
been finalized has reached 111, the largest since 1949, staying above 100 for
the fourth straight year, according to the Justice Ministry.
Of the 111, 65 have been seeking retrials, while 15 have applied for amnesty.
Meanwhile, two death row inmates died in prison this year.
In an extremely rare move, Chiba, a former member of the Japan Parliamentary
League against the Death Penalty, attended the executions and decided to
partially disclose the execution chambers to the media in order to stir public
debate over capital punishment.
According to Amnesty International, 139 countries, more than two-thirds of
nations worldwide, have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice as of
the end of last year. In 2009, only 18 countries, including Japan, carried out
executions.
==Kyodo
The number of people sentenced to death by Japanese courts in 2010 came to 14,
down 20 from last year, reflecting a decrease in heinous crimes such as murder
and a more cautious stance by the courts on handing down the death sentence, a
Kyodo News survey showed Thursday.
Of the 14, three, including a minor convicted of killing two women in Miyagi
Prefecture, were sentenced to death by the newly introduced lay judge system.
The number of death sentences given by district and high courts as well as the
Supreme Court had followed a rising path since 2000 to reach 46 in 2007. The
latest figure fell below 20 for the first time since 1999, when 16 people were
given the death sentence.
According to the National Police Agency, the number of atrocious crimes such as
murder, robbery and rape has been decreasing since hitting 11,360 in 2005,
totaling 6,989 as of the end of November this year.
The Kyodo survey also found courts gave life imprisonment to eight defendants
for whom prosecutors had sought the death penalty.
While two death row inmates were hanged this year at the instruction of former
Justice Minister Keiko Chiba, the number of convicts whose death penalty has
been finalized has reached 111, the largest since 1949, staying above 100 for
the fourth straight year, according to the Justice Ministry.
Of the 111, 65 have been seeking retrials, while 15 have applied for amnesty.
Meanwhile, two death row inmates died in prison this year.
In an extremely rare move, Chiba, a former member of the Japan Parliamentary
League against the Death Penalty, attended the executions and decided to
partially disclose the execution chambers to the media in order to stir public
debate over capital punishment.
According to Amnesty International, 139 countries, more than two-thirds of
nations worldwide, have abolished the death penalty in law or in practice as of
the end of last year. In 2009, only 18 countries, including Japan, carried out
executions.
==Kyodo
