government: limited democracy
state of civil and political rights: Partly free
constitution: “Basic Law”, approved on 31 March 1993 by China's National People's Congress, is Macau's mini-constitution
legal system: Portuguese civil law system
legislative system: unicameral Legislative Assembly
judicial system: Court of Final Appeal in Macau Special Administrative Region
religion: Buddhist 50%, Roman Catholic 15%, none and other 35%
death row:
year of last executions: 0-0-0
death sentences: 0
executions: 0
international treaties on human rights and the death penalty:
situation:
Macao, a former Portuguese colony, was handed over to China on December 20, 1999. During the negotiations that preceded the handover, Portugal requested strict guarantees that human rights will be respected and the death penalty will not be reintroduced. Although China makes extensive use of the death penalty, the Chinese Government agreed not to extend it to Macao.
