World Day Against the Death Penalty: Discussion with Kylie Moore-Gilbert
13 October 2022: Please join us for a special event to mark the 20th World Day Against the Death Penalty.
Hosted by the Capital Punishment Justice Project and MinterEllison, we are excited to present Kylie Moore-Gilbert, academic and author of “The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian prison”.
Join us at 5:30pm at MinterEllison, Collins Arch, Level 20/447 Collins St, Melbourne.
Canapes will be served from 5:30pm. The speakers will start at 6pm. The event will finish at 7pm.
You are also welcome to join us by Zoom (6pm – 7pm; Zoom link will be emailed to those registered the day before the event).
Statement on executions in Singapore
Capital Punishment Justice Project calls on Singapore to cease its current spate of executions, which has seen 10 people executed since 30 March this year. The individuals who have been executed are not drug ‘kingpins’. To read more, click here.
Anti-Death Penalty and Human Rights organisations outraged by the execution of human rights defenders by the Myanmar Military Junta
26 July 2022: The Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN), Capital Punishment Justice Project, (CPJP), Eleos Justice, Monash University, LBH Masyarakat, Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET), Odhikhar, Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, ECPM (Together Against the Death Penalty) and Transformative Justice Collective condemn the executions in Myanmar of TMP Phyo Zeya Thaw, Kyaw Min Yu, Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, and assail the violations to the rights to due process and the rule of law in these cases.
You can read the joint statement here.
Bangladesh: stop punishing human rights work
9 June 2022: Bangladeshi authorities should immediately reverse their decision to deregister prominent human rights organization, Odhikar, eleven organizations said. You can read the joint statement here.
#SaveNagaenthran: Stop Nagen from Being Executed
Rights groups and business leaders join together to challenge Singapore's plans to execute man with intellectual disability
After the recent dismissal of Nagaenthran Dharmalingam’s appeal to Singapore’s Court of Appeal, his family has received notice of his execution scheduled for 27 April 2022. Nagaenthran has an intellectual disability and has deteriorating mental health. He should not be executed.
Please click here to read Richard Branson’s interview with Chris Barrett at The Age. You can read what Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) said about the impending execution here.
Bangladesh: Stop Reprisals Against Victims, Activists
Instead Prioritize Accountability for Human Rights Abuses
Bangladesh should immediately cease harassment and reprisals against victims of human rights violations, human rights defenders, and their families, twelve organisations including Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) said. Instead, the government should focus its efforts on ensuring full accountability for the serious human rights abuses that persist in the country.
Our organisations oppose the death penalty in all circumstances for all people, and support the imposition of sanctions by various governments in response to credible and widespread allegations of serious human rights abuses including extrajudicial killings, torture,and enforced disappearances.
Please click here to read the joint statement.
Joint statement opposing executions in Singapore
Ensemble contre la peine de mort (ECPM), Responsible Business Initiative for Justice, Eleos Justice, Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) and Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) are dismayed that Singapore has scheduled two executions for Wednesday, 16th February.
Our organisations oppose the death penalty in all circumstances for all people, and note that there is a global trend towards ending the practice for the intellectually disabled and mentally ill. Our organisations also stand in solidarity with the local legal team defending the lives of those at risk of execution.
Please click here to read the joint statement.
CPJP Virtual Experience Program in partnership with Forage
CPJP has launched a free virtual experience program, in partnership with Forage, that enables participants to learn more about CPJP’s mission for a world without the death penalty and start building skills and experience directly relevant to volunteering with CPJP.
The program consists of a series of tasks that closely mirror the type of work you could expect to do while volunteering at CPJP. It is recommended for participants who have studied or are interested in law, international relations, diplomacy, human rights, policy, advocacy and communications, and those who are interested in the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
The program is free and open to anyone around the world. The program takes approximately 6 hours to complete and is entirely self-paced.
Get started here: CPJP Virtual Experience Program
Singapore: Halt Impending Execution of Intellectually Disabled Person
Solidarity with Nagaenthran
Capital Punishment Justice Project joins 27 organisations and networks and counsel M. Ravi in urging the Singaporean Government to immediately halt the impending execution of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam; and in calling on UN entities, the European Union, and all relevant stakeholders to take urgent action. Click here for the joint statement.
Click here to hear from Nagaenthran’s mother about why urgent action is needed.
World Day Against the Death Penalty:
Virtual fireside conversation with guest speaker Sunny Jacobs
In support of World Day Against the Death Penalty, CPJP and Clifford Chance held a virtual fireside conversation with guest speaker Sunny Jacobs.
A recording of the event will be available for viewing online soon.
Risks to life posed by information sharing
Media release
Although Australia abolished the death penalty in 1973, committed to protecting the inherent right to life enshrined in Article 6(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and committed to abolition by ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR in 1990, the risk is live of misuse of Australian-sourced information and unintended complicity in the use of the death penalty abroad. Read about the implications of the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (International Production Orders) Bill 2020 here, which passed into law in June 2021.
Emergency assistance to evacuate Afghans at risk of death
Capital Punishment Justice Project is working to support specific individuals who are at risk of death or harm if they are not transported to the airport and evacuated from Kabul.
In July 2021, the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said in areas controlled by Taliban, women, government officials, journalists, and human rights defenders (among others) were facing targeted killings.
Join us in assisting them and helping to shine a spotlight on their urgent situation here.
Statement on the passing of CHRP Chairperson Chito Gascon
CPJP is saddened to hear of the passing of Chairperson Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon, who died on 9 October 2021 of complications arising from Covid-19. Chair Chito dedicated his life to advocating for human rights in the Philippines. As Chair of the Commission for Human Rights in the Philippines (CHRP) from 2015, he fought for justice for the victims of President Duterte’s War on Drugs, preserving evidence and collecting testimonies. He did this in the face of relentless personal attacks from President Duterte, resulting in ongoing harassment and threats. He will be remembered as a courageous and compassionate leader, preserving key democratic values in the face of shrinking civil society space. Capital Punishment Justice Project and Eleos Justice extend our deepest sympathies to Chair Chitos’ family and to his incredible team at the CHRP, whose dedication and commitment are a testament to the values held so dearly by Chair Chito. We will continue to support the critical work of the CHRP.
Photo from Chito Gascon Facebook
Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) stands for a world without the death penalty.
We work with our volunteers, interns, and board to develop legal and policy solutions that will help save lives.
LEGAL REPRESENTATION
ADVOCACY AND POLICY WORK
VOLUNTEERING
WHO WE ARE
Capital Punishment Justice Project (CPJP) stands for a world without the death penalty. We work with our partner organisations, volunteers, interns, and board to develop legal and policy solutions that will help save lives.
CPJP (formerly Reprieve Australia) was founded in Melbourne, Australia, in 2001 by criminal barristers Richard Bourke and Nick Harrington to provide legal representation and humanitarian assistance to those at risk of execution. Initially, our task was to provide volunteer assistance to capital defence centres in the US and while we remain committed to this essential work, our focus is on challenging the death penalty in Asia. CPJP’s Australian base offers strategic advantages for the work, despite our regional outlook. Australia has identified abolition of the death penalty as one of its human rights priority areas, and there is much that can be done to ensure that Australia is a leading voice on abolition.
Our Board is led by Stephen Keim SC and comprises 7 voluntary Board members. We operate on a small budget comprised of donations and grants, which covers our casework, research, policy work, advocacy and educational work.
CPJP strives to be practical and effective. We give our time for free, so we have no time to waste. Our approach is to be flexible in the ways we assist. Our strategies focus on providing sensible and sophisticated assistance and support to those working for change, with a particular focus on countries in our region.