Law that allows Malaysian king to keep child offenders in jail indefinitely is unconstitutional, activists say

As Malaysia makes strides towards reforming its criminal justice system, its national human rights body has begun looking into the issue of child offenders detained indeterminately at the pleasure of the king, something which activists and lawyers say is both unconstitutional and violates human rights.Under the Child Act, minors found guilty of capital offences, such as murder or drug trafficking, can serve a life sentence in place of the death penalty at the king’s discretion. This leaves…