David Feeney (Batman, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Justice) Share this | Hansard source

Can I begin by thanking the member for North Sydney for putting forward this motion. I would also like to acknowledge the work of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on their report A world without the death penalty. The cross-party support for abolishing the death penalty speaks to the strength of Australia's commitment to this cause. It transcends governments and political orientations because the death penalty is so abhorrent to our common understanding of justice and humanity.

The arguments against the continued use of the death penalty are compelling and they are numerous. First and foremost, state-sanctioned killing as a part of the justice system is abhorrent to the values of a peaceful democratic nation. The right to life is enshrined in international law. It is an international norm that we have an obligation to promote.

There is no evidence that the death penalty operates as a unique deterrent, and the cost of an incorrect sentence is so very high. The justice system is fallible, no matter how robust the processes. The death penalty is an irreversible punishment that cannot be amended and cannot be removed. This inevitably results in the state-sanctioned execution of innocents.

Australia has long supported the abolition of the death penalty, and we have a strong history of advocacy that we can be very proud of. Over the decades there has been a significant movement away from the use of the death penalty, with some 124 nations abolishing capital punishment in law or practice between 1977 and 2015.

However, we cannot become complacent or reduce the vigour with which pursue this issue. There remain 56 countries that actively retain the death penalty; sadly, many of these nations execute hundreds of people per year. What is more, 2015 saw the highest number of recorded executions worldwide since 1989. Last year, the continued use of the death penalty in other nations really hit home in Australia with the barbaric executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. As we acknowledge World Day Against the Death Penalty, we also mark our resolve as a parliament—and, indeed, as a nation—to bring an end to the death penalty in our region and across the world. I join my colleagues in calling on the government to continue strengthening our efforts to bring an end to the use of the death penalty where it still occurs.

Australia is in a strong position to make a real difference in this debate by supporting civil society in retentionist nations and through multinational platforms like the United Nations. In particular, Australia's bid for the United Nations Human Rights Council offers us a unique platform to take a leadership role on this issue.

I believe we have a particular obligation to pursue this issue with our friends—our friends and allies in the Indo-Pacific and the United States. While it is said that true friendship means being able to disagree, I believe it also means telling your friends when they are wrong. We have an obligation to make the case to bring an end to the use of the death penalty. Australia can and should do more.

See this speech in context