Australia and the Death Penalty

Since the last execution took place in 1967, Australia has officially abolished the death penalty nationwide. By ratifying the ICCPR in 1978, Australia has committed itself to opposing the death penalty. As of 2015, Australia has given its support to PGA efforts on abolishing the death penalty and has been active in generating a national political appropriation of the issue.

Australia has also participated in our target campaigns, attending a Parliamentary Consultations and Roundtable on the abolition the death penalty in Malaysia in November 2015. The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also sponsored the 6^th World Congress against the Death Penalty, which took place in June 2016 in Oslo.

30-31 October 2018: PGA organised, in partnership with ADPAN and Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM), a regional parliamentary seminar entitled “Standing Against Death Penalty in Asia” in Kuala Kumpur (Malaysia). Hon. Dean Smith, Member of the Senate of Australia, and Hon. Chris Hayes, Member of the House of Representatives of Australia, both co-chairs of the parliamentary group against the death penalty, shared with participants the commitment of Australia to opposing the death penalty, including through parliamentary diplomacy.

20 October 2016: In consultation with the World Coalition against the Death Penalty (WCADP), PGA launched a Parliamentary Factsheet on the Death Penalty and Terrorism-Related Offences, at an event hosted by the Permanent Missions of Australia, Norway, and Palau at the UN Secretariat Building. During the discussion on “Reinforcing the importance of parliamentarians in the abolition of the death penalty”, H.E. Ambassador Caitlin Wilson, Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN highlighted Australia’s unique position between government and civil society. She emphasized her country history with the death penalty to illustrate the waning of public support and its subsequent abolition. She also revealed Australia’s ambition to push for the global abolition of the death penalty should they gain a seat on the Human Rights Council.

Download Parliamentary Factsheet on the Death Penalty and Terrorism-Related Offences

5 May 2016: The Australian Joint Committee of Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade tabled its report for the inquiry into Australia's Advocacy for the Abolition of the Death Penalty. The full report and the Committee’s inquiry is available to read here. In the report, DFAT’s Dr. Strahan speaks highly on PGAs efforts in the Indo-Pacific region saying:

In November […], their [PGA's] support enabled a workshop of parliamentarians to be held in Kuala Lumpur. It was at this workshop that the Malaysian minister for law announced that the Malaysian government intended to remove the mandatory application of the death penalty for certain categories of crime. We see that as a very good, tangible benefit in our own region (5.29).

Recommendations on what Australia can do were communicated by active PGA member Mr. Mark Prichard, MP in Chapter 6. PGA Secretary-General Dr. David Donat Cattin is also quoted in this section, on the active role that research, MPs, and bipartisan efforts can play.

March 2016: A hearing of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Abolition of the Death Penalty (APPGADP) with PGA Member Mr. Mark Pritchard, MP (UK) and other British MPs, and the Australian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee was held and discussed the work of PGA.

25 February 2016: The PGA Secretariat participated in the public hearing for the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade’s inquiry into Australia’s advocacy for the abolition of the death penalty via Skype. The report of PGA’s participation in the hearing can be found here: