Skip to main content arrow-down arrow-tail-right arrow-triangle-right calendar camera compass download email eye facebook flag mail phone pin play send square-right tag twitter youtube badge message

DPP Welcomes Ruling that British Man Should Be Removed From Death Row

  • News
  • 1 May 2014

A British human rights charity has identified major flaws in Ghanaian law governing the use of the death penalty – currently a mandatory sentence for anyone convicted of murder.

It means that Dexter Johnson, a British national who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in Ghana in 2008, should be removed from death row.

The London-based Death Penalty Project filed a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) on behalf of Mr Johnson in July 2012. His previous appeal against his conviction and the mandatory sentence, in the Supreme Court of Ghana, was dismissed in 2011.

In March 2014, the UNHRC ruled Mr Johnson’s sentence should be commuted, finding that the mandatory death penalty imposed under Ghanaian law violated the right to life under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Saul Lehrfreund, who, along with Parvais Jabbar, is executive director of the Death Penalty Project, said: ‘We welcome the decision of the UNHRC, which adds to the growing worldwide jurisprudence recognising that the mandatory, automatic imposition of the death penalty is arbitrary and cruel, and will result in Mr Johnson being removed from death row.’

‘We hope this ruling will also encourage the government of Ghana to introduce legislative reforms to abolish the mandatory death penalty and restrict the imposition of the death penalty, in line with international human rights standards.’

When filing its complaint with the UNHRC, the Death Penalty Project argued that imposing a mandatory death penalty – without any judicial discretion to impose a lesser sentence – was indiscriminate and violated international human rights standards.

Explaining its decision, the UNHRC said that the automatic imposition of the death penalty constituted an arbitrary deprivation of the rights to life where it was imposed without any regard to the defendant’s personal circumstances, or the circumstances of the particular offence.

The government of Ghana is now obliged to provide Mr Johnson with an effective remedy, including the commutation of his death sentence. The committee has also requested that Ghana avoids similar violations in the future, including amending its domestic legislation so judicial discretion is introduced.

The government of Ghana has 180 days to provide information about how it will comply with the committee’s views.

Mr Lehrfreund added: ‘This important decision has implications for all prisoners under sentence of death, not only in Ghana, but also in other African states where the mandatory death penalty is still used.’

 

 

Latest news

“Serious breach of procedural fairness” - excessive manslaughter sentence quashed in The Bahamas
Read More
Ghana Web: Alban Bagbin praised for repeal of death penalty
Read More
IBAHRI commends abolition of the death penalty - Ghana
Read More
CLA Statement: Commending the Zambian and Ghanaian Governments for Abolishing the Death Penalty
Read More
The Week: Ghana abolishes the death penalty
Read More
The Guardian: Ghana abolishes death penalty, with expected reprieve for 176 condemned prisoners
Read More
DPP INTERVIEW: Francis-Xavier Sosu, the Ghanaian MP whose private member’s Bills have abolished the death penalty in Ghana
Read More
DPP interview with TRT - "Why are executions on the rise in a number of countries?"
Read More
Jurist: Ghana Parliament votes to end death penalty
Read More
Ghanaian Parliament votes to abolish the death penalty
Read More
The Washington Post: Ghana votes to remove the death penalty, calling it sign of ‘inhumane’ society
Read More
NGO welcomes abolition of the Death Penalty in Ghana
Read More
BBC News: Ghana Parliament votes to abolish death penalty
Read More
PRESS RELEASE: A Huge Win for Human Rights - Ghana Abolishes the Death Penalty
Read More
Ghana abolishing death penalty is a huge win for human rights – DPP
Read More
THE CONVERSATION AFRICA: It’s time for Ghana to enshrine its respect for the right to life – by abolishing the death penalty
Read More
NEW Op-ed: It’s time for Ghana to enshrine its respect for right to life – by abolishing death penalty
Read More
“Another instance where the justice system has failed a person”: Privy Council recognises multiple failures in Jamaica’s appeal processes
Read More
CLA Support Death Penalty Abolition Advocacy in Ghana
Read More

Stay up-to-date with our work