Life imprisonment may be imposed on murderers, rapists, terrorists, and gang members.

On Thursday, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly approved a package of reforms to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Law Against Acts of Terrorism, the Special Comprehensive Law for a Life Free of Violence for Women, and the Juvenile Criminal Law.

The reforms aim to align those laws with a new constitutional amendment establishing that life imprisonment may be imposed on “murderers, rapists and terrorists.” The latter group includes members of urban gangs.

The reforms to those laws were approved one week after lawmakers passed a constitutional amendment allowing “fast-track” changes to the Constitution, meaning reforms can be implemented within the same legislative period.

The reform to the Juvenile Criminal Law establishes that minors may be subject to life imprisonment, which may be periodically reviewed or evaluated in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code.

In this way, Salvadoran lawmakers consider that the incorporation of life imprisonment into the juvenile criminal system “maintains its compatibility with international constitutional standards on children’s rights.”

The reform to the Juvenile Criminal Law was approved by 57 out of 60 members of a Legislative Assembly dominated by the ruling New Ideas party, controlled by right-wing President Nayib Bukele.

The minority opposition party VAMOS voted against it, and two lawmakers from the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) abstained.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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