Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface to the third edition
- Table of cases
- Table of international instruments
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognition of the right to life
- 2 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: drafting, ratification and reservation
- 3 Interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- 4 Towards abolition: the Second Optional Protocol and other developments
- 5 International humanitarian law
- 6 International criminal law
- 7 European human rights law
- 8 Inter-American human rights law
- 9 African human rights law
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Appendices
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 July 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Foreword
- Preface to the third edition
- Table of cases
- Table of international instruments
- List of abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and recognition of the right to life
- 2 The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: drafting, ratification and reservation
- 3 Interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- 4 Towards abolition: the Second Optional Protocol and other developments
- 5 International humanitarian law
- 6 International criminal law
- 7 European human rights law
- 8 Inter-American human rights law
- 9 African human rights law
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Article 3
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person.
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Article 6
Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.
In countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes in accordance with the law in force at the time of the commission of the crime and not contrary to the provisions of the present Covenant and to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This penalty can only be carried out pursuant to a final judgment rendered by a competent court.
When deprivation of life constitutes the crime of genocide, it is understood that nothing in this article shall authorize any State Party to the present Covenant to derogate in any way from any obligation assumed under the provisions of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
Anyone sentenced to death shall have the right to seek pardon or commutation of the sentence. Amnesty, pardon or commutation of the sentence of death may be granted in all cases.
Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below eighteen years of age and shall not be carried out on pregnant women.
Nothing in this article shall be invoked to delay or to prevent the abolition of capital punishment by any State Party to the present Covenant.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law , pp. 379 - 442Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2002