Alternative punishment to death penalty must fit the crime, says lawyer

KUALA LUMPUR: The abolition of the mandatory death penalty requires Parliament to amend existing laws to create alternative penalties for offenders, says a legal practitioner.

Describing the decision as an opportunity for offenders to change for the better, lawyer Ahmad Shamil Azad Abdul Hamid, however, said the alternative punishment should be commensurate with the offence committed, apart from being able to serve as a deterrent.