Life sentences for drug traffickers extended to death

Parliament has today passed a bill where the life sentence for drug traffickers are no longer capped at 25 years, but are extended until death. 

The bill of amendments to the Drugs Act proposed by the government was passed in parliament today along with changes brought to it during the committee stage. The bill includes the death penalty for drug traffickers who smuggle in drugs to the country. 

However, the death penalty can only be imposed after certain conditions are met, and is approved unanimously by the Supreme Court bench. If a unanimous verdict for the death penalty is not reached, a life sentence will be imposed, as currently practised. 

Currently, a life sentence is defined as 25 years. However, committee amendments remove this cap for sentences under the Drugs Act. Instead, such life sentences will mean imprisonment until death, with no eligibility for parole or pardons. 

The bill states that offences carrying life sentences or the death penalty under this Act are ineligible for pardons, leniencies or sentence commutation.

- Drugs brought into Maldives being over 350g of cannabis

- Drugs brought into Maldives being over 250g of diamorphine

- Drugs brought into Maldives being a type under Category 1 other than cannabis or diamorphine, and exceeding 100g

The bill further states that the death penalty will apply if the drugs were brought in while the person was entering the country. 

As per the bill, if the sentence is passed on a person, then a superior court must review the case referring to case details and legal factors.

The death penalty can only be implemented when the Supreme Court bench hearing the case unanimously reaches a verdict in favour of implementation, the bill states.