Judge's murder provoked the debate on death penalty

“We might have avoided the murder of the high court judge had we imposed the capital punishment earlier,” UNP spokesman and former Justice Minister GL Peiris said.

He told BBC Sandeshaya that however, how and when to impose the capital punishment is not clear under the new measures.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga made the announcement on Saturday after the Friday’s killing of the senior high court judge Sarath Ambepitiya.

A press release by the president’s office said the capital punishment will be reintroduced for rape, murder and narcotics dealings.

Protest

Professor Peiris said the measures taken by the government to curb the increasing crime are “not sufficient”.

“The authorities should produce new legislations to introduce minimum punishments for particular crimes instead of current laws which only set maximum sentences,” he said.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) meanwhile strongly protested the reimplementation of the death penalty.

Director NHRC Nimal Punchihewa told BBC Sandeshaya on Monday that the human race now call themselves "civilised" as they have got rid of inhuman methods such as capital punishment.

"If we are going back to it, that means we are going against the civilisation," Punchihewa said.