Cambodia's Constitutional Council Approves Draft Law on Khmer Rouge TrialCambodia's Constitutional Council (CC) approved Monday a draft law on Khmer Rouge trial, which would be sufficiently legitimate after it is singed into law by King Norodom Sihanouk.Yang Sem, a member of the CC told reporters after the CC meeting that the bill would be submitted to the National Assembly on Monday afternoon. He said that a part of Article 3 in the draft bill, which spelled out Articles 209, 500, 506 and 507 of Cambodia's 1956- penal code, need to be removed because those articles were referring to death penalties, in which it contradicts to the current constitution. The existing constitution allows maximum punishment up to a life sentence. The National Assembly unanimously approved the draft law on January 2, and the Senate did it on January 15. The nine-member Constitutional Council reviews most of draft laws approved earlier by the lower and upper houses whether they apply to the Constitution, before handing them over to King Sihanouk to sign into law. King Sihanouk is expected to sign it soon. |
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