The Federal Court does not have the jurisdiction to review, revisit, or change the Pardons Board’s decision to commute death sentences to life imprisonment (pemenjaraan bertempoh), the top court ruled today.

This is because the Federal Court is only empowered to review or revisit death sentences that it imposed or upheld, as well as death sentences upheld by the Pardons Board after a pardon petition is dismissed, said Court of Appeal judge Che Ruzima Ghazali, who read out the panel’s ruling this morning.