Capital Punishment Justice Project

05/08/2026

🎙️ The latest episode of Law The Podcast asks, "should Australian judges work in death penalty courts?"

Hosts CPJP Ambassador Lex Lasry AM and Greg Barns SC say the answer is no.

Seven Australian judges currently sit on the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), which forms part of the Supreme Court of Singapore. While these judges do not hear death penalty cases, it remains the same Supreme Court that hands down capital sentences.

Lex puts it plainly: "My position is that these seven Australians should not be sitting on that court because they bring a respectability to the court that it doesn't deserve, given that it executes people."

With the Australian Government holding a longstanding, bipartisan commitment to advocate for the global abolition of the death penalty, Lex also argues that "the government should persuade senior judges in Australia not to take appointments in Singapore."

🎧 Listen from 7:00–14:00 for the full discussion.

Australian judges are serving on Singapore's Supreme Court, but should they be part of an institution that imposes the death penalty? You can watch our episodes on Youtube here. Hosts: Lex Lasry AM and Greg Barns SC Guest: Gabriel Shipton Editor: Michael Tankard Produced by: Bravecasting Media Origi...

31/07/2026

Singapore has executed 15 people so far in 2026 – close to half of those believed to have remained on death row at the end of last year. All were for drug-related offences, despite international law restricting the death penalty to the "most serious crimes," a threshold that UN bodies have repeatedly stated drug-related offences do not meet.

CPJP joins Amnesty International, Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) and Harm Reduction International in a joint statement condemning this unrelenting ex*****on spree and calling on Singapore to immediately establish a moratorium on all ex*****ons.

Singapore has already carried out 15 ex*****ons in 2026. Read our joint statement with Amnesty International, ADPAN and Harm Reduction International.

29/07/2026

Today marks ten years since Indonesia last carried out an ex*****on – a milestone that now sees the country recognised as a de facto abolitionist state under UN standards, particularly significant in a region that accounts for some of the highest numbers of ex*****ons globally.

In 2023, Indonesia revised its Criminal Code, introducing a ten-year probationary period for death sentences, during which an individual will not be executed. Courts can consider a person's remorse and potential for rehabilitation during this time, with the possibility of commuting their sentence to life imprisonment

Indonesia's decade of restraint shows that justice systems can change. Still, around 500 people remain on death row, underscoring that the next step must be formal abolition.

Read our newsletter for the full story, plus a round-up of death penalty developments from around the world:

After 10 years without ex*****ons, Indonesia becomes a de facto abolitionist state, plus the latest death penalty news from the USA, Iran, Singapore and beyond.

29/07/2026

23/07/2026

Joining Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN)'s mailing list is one of the best ways to stay in the loop about the great abolitionist work being undertaken across the Asia-Pacific region.

Sign up via the link below!

15/07/2026

WEBINAR: Towards qualified capital defence in Asia - introduction to the KL Guidelines

📅 Wednesday 15 July 2026
🕐 1000-1115 (BST)
📝 Register: tinyurl.com/ywb3pt3e

Join the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute ( ) and partners for a webinar introducing the Regional Guidelines for Lawyers Representing Individuals Facing the Death Penalty and Ex*****on in Asia (the ‘KL Guidelines’) – a set of guidelines which aim to reduce the use of the in by improving the quality of capital defence.

Effective representation in capital cases is crucial to reducing the use of the death penalty and paving the way for abolition. The KL Guidelines offer a regionally grounded framework to support defence in navigating the complexities of such cases. The guidelines also highlight the role of in ensuring that capital defence lawyers have full and timely access to their clients and receive adequate training, resources and institutional support.

Moderator
✦ Mark Stephens CBE, IBAHRI Co-Chair

Speakers
✦ Ricky Gunawan, Human Rights Lawyer
✦ Khaizan Sharizad (Sherrie) Ab. Razak., Lawyer
✦ Teppei ONO, Japanese Federation of Bar Associations
✦ Shreya Rastogi, Co-Founder & Director (Litigation & Forensics), The Square Circle Clinic, NALSAR

Supported by: the IBA Asia Pacific Regional Forum, the IBA Criminal Law Committee, the IBA Forum for Barristers and Advocates, the IBA Human Rights Law Committee, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and LAWASIA (The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific)

30/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who has donated to CPJP – your generosity means so much to a small organisation like ours, and to the people our work supports. If you are still thinking about making a tax-deductible donation for this financial year, there are just a few hours left. Every contribution makes a real difference.

www.cpjp.org.au/donate

26/06/2026

🌍Will 2026 be the turning point for the Asia-Pacific?

The Asia-Pacific remains the world's most challenging landscape for death penalty abolition, hosting the highest number of ex*****oner states. However, a historic shift is unfolding.

By July 2026, Indonesia is on track to officially become a de facto abolitionist state, marking a monumental ten-year ex*****on hiatus.

With a new probationary framework offering a pathway for sentence commutations, Indonesia stands at a critical crossroads—symbolising both the immense progress and the fragility of capital punishment reform in our region. While several states in the Asia-Pacific have moved toward abolition or moratoria, others continue to rely on mandatory death penalty regimes.

If you are joining the global movement at the 9th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Paris (ECPM), we invite you to join this side event. Together, we will explore how legal reform, civil society mobilisation, and regional cooperation can pave the ultimate path toward full abolition.

Event Details:

Date: Thursday, 2 July 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: Salle de Projection, Hôtel de Lassay, 33 Quai d’Orsay, 75007 Paris
Topic: A Turning Point for the Asia Pacific?: Indonesia's De Facto Abolition and Regional Trends

If you'll be in Paris, make sure to add this to your schedule. We look forward to shaping the future of advocacy with you!

Co-organised in solidarity with: Lembaga Bantuan Hukum Masyarakat (LBHM), Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), Capital Punishment Justice Project, Coalition Against Death Penalty and KontraS.