This document gives details of international developments in death penalty issues in 1997. It includes sections on abolition and reduction in scope of the death penalty; suspension of executions; commutations; defeat of moves for reintroduction or expansion; moves to expand the scope of the death penalty; its use against juveniles; methods of execution and various other legislative developments connected with the death penalty. It also looks at developments within NGOs, particularly the unprecedented move by the UN Human Rights Commission in passing a resolution calling for states to consider suspending executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
