France abolishes death penalty
http://english.eastday.com/eastday/englishedition/world/userobject1ai2639213.html
20/2/2007 13:46

The French parliament yesterday adopted a constitutional amendment in
Versailles, west of Paris, formally abolishing the death penalty in the
country.

The amendment, which won support from the majority of the nearly 900
legislators, says "no one can be sentenced to the death penalty" in France.

Although France banned the capital punishment with a 1981 law, President
Jacques Chirac has said he wants to go further by inscribing the abolition
of the death penalty into the constitution.

Chirac decided in early February this year to call a joint legislative
session instead of a national referendum to vote on the amendment in order
to achieve his goal before leaving office.

Under the current constitution, a bill to change the constitution can take
effect after it is ratified by a national referendum. The only alternative
lies in the hands of the president, who can call a joint legislative session
instead of a national referendum. The bill must get three-fifths of the
legislators' support to pass.

France's official data shows that altogether 78 countries all over the world
uses the death penalty at present.