On 10 October, World Day Against the Death Penalty, members of the KL Guidelines network participated in a webinar focused on the vision of qualified capital defence across Asia. Hosted by the Centre for Prisoners’ Rights, it introduced the obstacles and challenges that individual defence counsels face in each country, as well as providing an overview of the KL Guidelines.

The quality of defence counsel in capital cases is crucial to reducing the use of the death penalty. In the United States, for example, the American Bar Association produced the American Bar Association Guidelines for the Appointment and Performance of Counsel In Death Penalty Cases (1989 ABA Guidelines), which were revised in 2003 (2003 ABA Guidelines).The ABA Guidelines have reportedly been instrumental in reducing the use of the death penalty in the United States.

Meanwhile, cross-border efforts have been made to establish Regional Guidelines for Lawyers Representing Individuals Facing the Death Penalty and Execution in Asia (KL Guidelines). The UK-based NGO The Rights Practice, which facilitated discussions on drafting the guidelines, organised workshops with practitioners and experts in Asia, including the Centre for Prisoners’ Rights. The KL Guidelines aim to reduce the use of the death penalty by improving the quality of capital defence in the Asian region.