Death Penalty Under Cameroon’s 2014 Anti Terrorism Law And International Human Rights Law
Abstract:The existence of the death penalty in Cameroon’s criminal law is not a 21st Century issue because it has long existed as a principal penalty. The escalation of terrorism-related offences, especially with the activities of the Boko Haram in the Northern part of the country led to the enactment of Law No 2014/28 of 23 December 2014 on the Suppression of Acts of Terrorism. Demonstrating the Country’s great will to fight against and deter acts of terrorism, this law makes provision for the death penalty in many sections. The availability of the death penalty in the 2014 law can be said be contradictory with the country’s commitment to international human rights treaties which consecrates the right to life as a fundamental human right. This paper therefore examines the various acts that would amount to terrorism under the 2014 Law and further demonstrates that the availability of death penalty in this law contradicts International Human Rights Law. The death penalty in the said law has had a limited deterrent effect on terrorism as evident by the fact that the country has continued to witness several attacks, especially in the Grand North. An appropriate alternative to death penalty could be longer periods of Imprisonment, accompanied by serious reformation and rehabilitations procedure which might help a great deal to deter acts of terrorism. A reformed terrorist(s) might be used as a medium for sensitization against the ills of terrorism and to negotiate peace with terrorists.
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