The life terms of four other prisoners were also reviewed under the same Act, the law and institutional reform minister said.

Azalina said the reviews were carried out at the Federal Court after the review mechanism was agreed to by the Cabinet.

“This proves that the principle of restorative justice is upheld in the criminal justice system,” she said in a statement.

She added however that while no longer mandatory, the death sentence remains a part of the nation’s justice system.

“The death sentence is no longer mandatory, and amendments to the law now give judges discretion in sentencing appropriately, as provided for by the relevant laws,” she said.

The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 came into force on July 4, while Act 847 came into force on Sept 12.

On April 3, the two bills were approved in the Dewan Rakyat with several amendments, including the removal of the life sentence as an alternative to the mandatory death sentence, replaced with sentences of between 30 and 40 years.

Azalina said that in total, 1,020 prisoners sentenced to death and imprisonment for life are eligible for review.

“As of Nov 9, the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court has received review applications for 978 cases, that is 861 for death sentences and 117 for life imprisonment,” she said.