S v Makwanyane & Another (1995)

An early landmark case of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in which the death penalty was declared unconstitutional and struck down. Judge President Chaskalson held that retribution cannot be accorded the same weight under the Constitution as the rights to life and dignity, which are the most important of all the rights in the Bill of Rights.

For further information relating to this matter, please visit the Constitutional Court's repository of court cases and documentation.