Govt Minister wants death penalty for drug lords
Charan Jeath Singh says the proposal should be considered during the Constitutional Review Commission process and should target major suppliers, not drug users.
Tuesday 08 September 2026 | 10:00
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Charan Jeath Singh.
Parliament of Fiji
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs Charan Jeath Singh has called for the death penalty to be restored for major drug traffickers, despite capital punishment being unlawful under Fiji’s current constitutional framework.
Mr Singh said Fiji should consider Singapore’s approach to tackling drug trafficking, including capital punishment for serious drug offences.
He made the call after sharing a post about Singapore’s tough anti-drug laws, which include capital punishment for certain major trafficking offences.
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“I’m not targeting the recipients of the drugs because they are vulnerable,” Mr Singh said. “The idea is that the drug lords have to be targeted first.”
He said only major suppliers, rather than addicts or small-scale users, should face execution.
“I’m not saying just hang any or give a death sentence to any Tom, Dick and Harry,” he said.
Mr Singh said the issue should be raised as part of the ongoing Constitutional Review Commission process.
Fiji abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 1979 and removed the final provision for capital punishment from its laws in 2015. The last execution in Fiji was carried out in 1964.
The death penalty is also inconsistent with the right-to-life protections in Section 8 of the 2013 Constitution, according to the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission.
Mr Singh’s proposal is not the first call by a Government minister to reconsider capital punishment for drug traffickers.
In 2024, then Minister for Women and Children Lynda Tabuya called for the death penalty to be considered for people trafficking large quantities of drugs. The proposal was opposed by the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission, which said stronger policies, laws and judicial processes were needed instead.
Mr Singh said he raised the idea after seeing the post over the weekend and would bring it up in Cabinet this week.
He also revealed that he was assaulted by three men who he said were under the influence of drugs about 20 years ago.
Mr Singh further claimed that a man who was previously jailed for drug offences in New Zealand is now involved in Fiji football, questioning what message this sends.
The proposal comes as Fiji continues to debate stronger responses to drug trafficking and as the country undertakes a review of the 2013 Constitution.
