Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 26, 2006 17:39:08 GMT -5
No execution of death row inmates have occurred under outgoing justice
minister
Outgoing Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura, a Buddhist who stirred
controversy by saying he would not sign orders to execute death row
inmates during his tenure, is likely to keep his word, ministry sources
said.
Earlier this month, bureaucrats at the Justice Ministry handed records of
death row inmates to Sugiura and asked him to sign orders to execute the
criminals. However, he refused to do so.
Sugiura will step down as justice minister when Junichiro Koizumi retires
as prime minister on Tuesday after more than 5 years in office.
When he was appointed as justice minister last October, Sugiura said he
would not sign any orders to execute convicts on death row.
"I'll not sign (execution orders). It's a matter of my thoughts, religious
beliefs and philosophy," Sugiura told a news conference shortly after he
was appointed as justice minister.
He subsequently rescinded his remarks. "I only described my personal
feelings. I didn't talk about performing my official duties."
When asked whether he would sign execution orders, he only said, "I'll
make judgments in an appropriate manner."
No death row prisoners were executed from November 1989 to March 1993.
Former legislator Megumu Sato, who was one of the justice ministers during
that period, said he refused to sign execution orders out of his religious
beliefs.
Since then Justice Minister Masaharu Gotoda resumed executions of death
row inmates from 1993, with several people executed each year.
Sugiura's refusal to sign execution orders has drawn mixed reactions from
legal experts.
Ryukoku University Prof. Shinichi Ishizuka hailed Sugiura's decision.
"The Code of Criminal Procedure empowers a justice minister to issue
execution orders because the law calls for cautious judgment. The law may
expect a justice minister to exercise leadership in such decisions
depending on the trends of the times," Ishizuka said.
"It's an international trend to decrease the death penalty. I appreciate
Sugiura's cautious attitude toward the death penalty," he said.
However, Chuo University Professor Emeritus Toyo Atsumi pointed out that
Sugiura failed to fulfill his official duties.
"It's a matter of course that he must abide by the Code of Criminal
Procedure that stipulates that a just minister must issue execution
orders. His refusal to do so means he has failed to fulfill his official
duty as justice minister. The prime minister should dismiss such a
minister," Atsumi said.
"Mr. Sugiura is a lawyer, so if he had no intention of issuing execution
orders, he shouldn't have accepted the post of just minister in the first
place," he added.
(source: Mainichi Daily News)
minister
Outgoing Justice Minister Seiken Sugiura, a Buddhist who stirred
controversy by saying he would not sign orders to execute death row
inmates during his tenure, is likely to keep his word, ministry sources
said.
Earlier this month, bureaucrats at the Justice Ministry handed records of
death row inmates to Sugiura and asked him to sign orders to execute the
criminals. However, he refused to do so.
Sugiura will step down as justice minister when Junichiro Koizumi retires
as prime minister on Tuesday after more than 5 years in office.
When he was appointed as justice minister last October, Sugiura said he
would not sign any orders to execute convicts on death row.
"I'll not sign (execution orders). It's a matter of my thoughts, religious
beliefs and philosophy," Sugiura told a news conference shortly after he
was appointed as justice minister.
He subsequently rescinded his remarks. "I only described my personal
feelings. I didn't talk about performing my official duties."
When asked whether he would sign execution orders, he only said, "I'll
make judgments in an appropriate manner."
No death row prisoners were executed from November 1989 to March 1993.
Former legislator Megumu Sato, who was one of the justice ministers during
that period, said he refused to sign execution orders out of his religious
beliefs.
Since then Justice Minister Masaharu Gotoda resumed executions of death
row inmates from 1993, with several people executed each year.
Sugiura's refusal to sign execution orders has drawn mixed reactions from
legal experts.
Ryukoku University Prof. Shinichi Ishizuka hailed Sugiura's decision.
"The Code of Criminal Procedure empowers a justice minister to issue
execution orders because the law calls for cautious judgment. The law may
expect a justice minister to exercise leadership in such decisions
depending on the trends of the times," Ishizuka said.
"It's an international trend to decrease the death penalty. I appreciate
Sugiura's cautious attitude toward the death penalty," he said.
However, Chuo University Professor Emeritus Toyo Atsumi pointed out that
Sugiura failed to fulfill his official duties.
"It's a matter of course that he must abide by the Code of Criminal
Procedure that stipulates that a just minister must issue execution
orders. His refusal to do so means he has failed to fulfill his official
duty as justice minister. The prime minister should dismiss such a
minister," Atsumi said.
"Mr. Sugiura is a lawyer, so if he had no intention of issuing execution
orders, he shouldn't have accepted the post of just minister in the first
place," he added.
(source: Mainichi Daily News)