Kwaku Ansa-Asare urges retention of death penalty for deterrence

Former Director of the Ghana School of Law, Kwaku Ansa-Asare, has called for the retention of the death penalty in Ghana, arguing that it would serve as a deterrent to crime.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on June 17, 2025, Ansa-Asare said the mandatory death penalty should remain part of the country’s legal framework to discourage criminal behaviour.

According to him, although the law remains in force, executions are rare, with only about two individuals reportedly executed since Ghana gained independence.

He noted that most people sentenced to death are eventually given life imprisonment.

“If citizens are aware that the death sentence is still in the statute books, it will deter them from wrongdoing. But if they know it no longer exists, they will mess up. It doesn’t hurt anyone, but rather deters,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Justice Dennis Adjei, during his vetting on June 16, 2025, called for the abolition of death penalty.

He argued that the imposition of the death sentence violates the fundamental human rights of individuals and undermines the sanctity of life.

Justice Adjei further stated that judges should be granted the discretion to impose alternative sentences, instead of being compelled to hand down a death penalty.

MRA/VPO

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