Ending the Death Penalty in Asia

The upcoming regional conference titled Ending the Death Penalty in Asia: Reform Pathways, Comparative Perspectives, and Path Forward will take place on Monday 26 October 2026 amoung academics, legal experts, and advocates to discuss legislative reform, regional trends, and policy alternatives to capital punishment.

Castan Centre Deputy Director and Eleos Justice Director Sara Kowal will chair a panel on mitigation pathways towards abolition in Asia.

The session will focus on developing jurisprudence that addresses the psychological impact of death row and the disproportionate effect of capital punishment on marginalised populations.

Asia is home to more than a third of the world's death row population.

This conference unites regional experts to confront entrenched systems and chart real pathways toward abolition.

With Malaysia's Parliament reviewing the death penalty in 2026, the moment for regional action and reform is now.

Conference speakers include researchers and legal practitioners from India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia.

The program also includes Monash University Malaysia President and Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dato' Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, who will present the welcome address and join a panel on policy pathways for drug offences; Monash Law Dean Professor Steven Vaughan, who will deliver the closing remarks; Provost Professor Tim Dunne, who will chair a panel on obstacles to abolition; and Dr Thaatchaayini Kananatu (Monash University Malaysia) alongside Associate Professor Dr Claudia Stoicescu (Monash Indonesia), who will both speak on mitigation pathways towards abolition.

Presented by Monash University Malaysia, Eleos Justice and Monash Law, Rashid Zulkifli Advocates and Solicitors, United Nations OHCHR, and the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network.