15 January 2020 :

The special committee looking into the abolishment of the mandatory death penalty on 15 January 2020 assured the families of murder victims that the court will still have the discretionary powers to decide on whether to impose the sentence.
The statement is in response to views expressed by the families at a press conference on 14 January.
The families of the victims had urged the government to retain the mandatory death penalty for heinous crimes or premeditated killings involving the loss of lives.
The Special Committee on the Study of the Alternative Sentence to the Mandatory Death Sentence said abolishing the mandatory death penalty did not mean a total abolition of the death penalty.
“The death penalty may still be imposed if the court finds it appropriate based on the facts of the case,” it said.
The special committee, set up in August last year, said that the session on 14 January was held as part of a “holistic engagement process“.
“In this regard, the special committee is committed and focused on the views and opinions of all stakeholders received throughout the engagement sessions, so that the findings can be analyzed and submitted to the government for further action.”
The recommendations from the study will be presented to the Cabinet in the first quarter of 2020, it added.