Papua New Guinea: 'Waiting for' execution guidelines

By PNG correspondent Liam Fox
From ABC Australia

Papua New Guinea's attorney-general says he is waiting for guidelines to be drawn up to allow the enforcement of the death penalty.

PNG's criminal code allows for people to be sentenced to death by hanging but the penalty has never been carried out.

There have been several high-profile murders recently and in parliament today attorney-general Alan Marat was asked why the penalty has never been enforced.

He says there are no regulations governing how an execution would be conducted and he is waiting for his department to draw them up.

"I want to take that regulation to cabinet for endorsement but it's just not ready, but as soon as it's ready maybe we start implementing," he said.

Dr Marat says his department is also looking at whether executions could be carried out by lethal injection.

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