Who is the first death row prisoner to have their case reviewed?

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Teh Hock Leong is the first death row prisoner to have his case reviewed under new legislation.

Teh Hock Leong, aged 52, is the first death row inmate whose case is being heard for a sentence review under the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023. He has been incarcerated since 1999 and on death row for two decades, having been convicted in 2003 for trafficking over 580 grammes of methamphetamine. His legal team is seeking to commute his death sentence to a jail term.
Teh Hock Leong's Conviction and Appeals

Teh Hock Leong was sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in 2003 for trafficking 580.3 grammes of methamphetamine at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. He had exhausted all avenues of appeal, with his applications to the Court of Appeal being dismissed on May 14, 2008, and his final appeal to the Federal Court being rejected on October 23, 2009.
New Legislation Enabling Sentence Reviews

The Federal Court is now empowered to review death sentences under Act 847, which came into effect on September 12, 2023. This temporary jurisdiction was established following the Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023, which came into force on July 4, 2023. This significant legislative change removed mandatory death sentences for certain offences, including drug trafficking and murder.
Discretionary Sentencing Under New Law

The revised legal framework grants judges discretion in sentencing. Instead of a mandatory death penalty, individuals convicted of these offences may now receive a prison sentence ranging from a minimum of 30 years to a maximum of 40 years. For male convicts under 50 years of age who are not sentenced to death, the law also stipulates a punishment of at least 12 strokes of the whip.
Volume of Review Applications

As of October 31, the Federal Court had received a substantial number of review applications, totalling 924. These applications are being processed and heard in phases, indicating a significant number of individuals on death row seeking sentence revision under the new provisions.

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Who is the first death row prisoner to have their case reviewed?

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