Death Penalty Abolition Act 1973

The Death Penalty Abolition Act 1973 is an Australian law that abolishes capital punishment in the country. The Act, which was enacted on September 18, 1973, applies to all jurisdictions within Australia, including the Commonwealth and the States. It extends to the territories as well.

This Act makes it clear that a person cannot be liable for death penalty for any offense referred to in subsection 3(2), and also prohibits the imposition of death penalty as the punishment for such offenses.

Furthermore, the Act provides substitution of imprisonment for life where by any law it is provided that a person is liable to the punishment of death. This means that if a person is liable to death under any law, the reference to the punishment of death shall be read, construed and applied as if the penalty of imprisonment for life were substituted for that punishment.

The Act also ensures that the punishment of death must not be imposed as the penalty for any offense referred to in subsection 3(2) or (3).

The Death Penalty Abolition Act 1973 has undergone several amendments since its enactment, with the most recent being the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Torture Prohibition and Death Penalty Abolition) Act 2010.