The ruling yesterday by the Supreme Court that the mandatory death sentence is unconstitutional should be commended (see P6). The mandatory sentence applies to such cases as robbery with violence, murder and treason. Depriving a judge of discretion by making a sentence mandatory would therefore occasion injustice. The mandatory sentence is an extreme punishment and judges should consider all extenuating circumstances. Removal of the sentence will give judges much more room to be careful and to deliver justice and not to automatically put people to death.

Source: The Star December 14, 2017 21:21 UTC