Monday 23 / September / 2024
Muscat: Members of the Majlis Al Shura will argue on Tuesday that life in prison should be limited to 25 years, while the State Council believes that the term of a life sentence should be left open.
In a joint session, the State Council and Majlis Al Shura will vote on nine articles in the penal code on Tuesday, according to Mohammed Al Zadjali, the head of the legal committee at the Majlis Al Shura. The government has forwarded the penal code including 394 articles to Oman Council.
“There were disagreements between the State Council and Majlis Al Shura in 124 articles in the penal code earlier. However, last week there was a joint session between the two councils which brought the number down to seven articles only,” said Al Zadjali.
Al Zadjali explained that most of the disagreements were partial including wording and forming issues.
“The Majlis Al Shura has raised the number of articles from seven to nine in the meeting which was held yesterday, Sunday, at its 19th regular session of the 1st annual sitting (2015/2016) of the 8th term (2015-2019) held under the chair of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of Majlis Al Shura,” said Al Zadjali.
He explained that one among the nine articles include an article on precaution measures based on the draft of the penal code forwarded by the government to the council.
“The Majlis Al Shura found no precaution measures mentioned in the law and therefore suggested to delete the term,” said Al Zadjali. He explained that precaution measures like driving license seizure or hold under home arrests which are not stated clearly in the penal code.
Moreover, life sentence is still under argument between the two councils. “Majlis Al Shura suggested that life sentence should be clearly stated in the penal code,” said Al Zadjali.
He added that in the draft forwarded by the government. “We have suggested the period of life sentence to be 25 years,” said Al Zadjali. He said most of the penal codes of different countries state the life sentence period.
