Human Rights

Fifteen years after ruling that states could execute murderers as young as 16 or 17 years old, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to re-examine the issue.

The justices granted review in Roper v. Simmons, No. 03-633, in which the Missouri Supreme Court set aside the death sentence of Christopher Simmons, who was 17 when he murdered a woman in 1993.

In addition to evidence that state practice and public sentiment are trending away from the juvenile death penalty, with the high court's renewed interest in international human rights developments, it will also be noted that Iran last year banned the execution of juveniles.