Attorney General Faris Al Rawi said he was been examining suggested use of pepper spray as a defence mechanism for citizens — but also had to consider what could happen if it falls into the hands of criminals.
Al-Rawi commented briefly on the matter at yesterday’s weekly government media briefing.
This, following Opposition calls for consideration of pepper spray use by citizens to protect themselves.
However, Al-Rawi didn’t say if he would continue examining the pepper spray proposal.
On Opposition calls for return of the death penalty, Al-Rawi said hanging is the law. He said there are 33 people sentenced to hang. But 11 of those fall under the Pratt and Morgan ruling — which meant more than five years had elapsed since their conviction.
As a result, their death sentences are be commuted because of the excessive delays between sentencing and punishment.
The other cases are pending before the Appeal Court and Privy Council.
Al-Rawi also said Government is committed to having the marriage age changed to 18 since there was much gender bias against females in the current law.
He was responding on Muslim groups’ recent calls against changing the age.
On business quarters’ calls for a limited State of Emergency to deal with the crime situation, Al-Rawi said taxpayers are still paying compensation to people who sued the state for wrongful arrest in the past PP administration’s 2011 SoE.
Al-Rawi said the state was compiling a DNA database from the entire prison population since “more DNA means better chances of prosecution and conviction.”—GA
