ST GEORGE’S, Grenada (CMC) – The Government of Grenada is planning to remove the death penalty as a punishment for a criminal offence but before a final decision is made the public will give suggestions and recommendations as part of a consultative process.

This was disclosed by Rae Thomas, Crown Counsel, Office of the Attorney General, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Labour and Consumer Affairs when she gave remarks during Grenada’s Universal Period Review (UPR) which took place in Geneva earlier this week.

Grenada is one of 14 States being reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its session that ends on Friday.

In response to recommendations from various UN members including Italy and Mozambique that Grenada intends to repeal the death penalty as a punishment, without providing a timeline, Thomas told the UPR Working Group that the removal is Government’s intention.

“Government intends to initiate public consultation on the potential abolition of the death penalty. Grenada remains open to receiving international support and technical assistance to help facility this important conversation,” she told the group.

According to Thomas, the last hanging occurred in Grenada in 1978 and there has been no State hanging since that time. She further informed the group that the Privy Council has ruled the death penalty in Grenada as constitutional and as a result there has been a moratorium since 1978.

Currently, Grenada is not a signatory to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which aims to abolish the death penalty.

Entered into force on 11 July, 1991, this protocol says that the States Parties signing and ratifying the protocol believes that abolition of the death penalty contributes to enhancement of human dignity and progressive development of human rights and that all measures of abolition of the death penalty should be considered as progress in the enjoyment of the right to life.