New Jersey abolishes death penalty

The US state of New Jersey has joined the global trend towards ending capital punishment. The state’s governor, Jon Corzine, signed a bill to abolish the death penalty on Monday.

The state’s assembly voted to replace execution with life imprisonment without parole on 14 December. Forty-four voted in favour of the bill, 36 against.

Amnesty International hopes and believes that the passing of this bill marks a turning point in the use of the death penalty in the US. New Jersey is the first US state to abolish capital punishment under law in the modern death penalty era, commencing in 1972. (Amnesty)