President Maithripala Sirisena said he would implement the death penalty before the end of his term, if the Supreme Court ruled in his favour.

Addressing an event yesterday, Sirisena said he had already signed the relevant documents to hang four criminals. "But some people who were not satisfied with the move went to the judiciary, blocking the re-implementation of the death penalty," he added.

Sirisnea said he was not hesitant to proceed with the decision even at this late stage of his presidency. He is expected to retire from the presidency on November 16.

However, the President's move to end the four-decade-long moratorium on the death penalty earned a severe backlash from many stakeholders including the European Union.