California governor commutes all 548 death row sentences to life without parole

California Governor Gavin Newsom has commuted the death sentences of all 548 people on the state's death row, converting them to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Newsom said he was exercising his constitutional clemency powers so that the offenders could spend their remaining years in obscurity while victims continue to be remembered and honoured.

The move is seen as largely symbolic, since California has not carried out an execution since 2006. Experts note it could nonetheless reduce court-related costs by millions of dollars annually. Since voters restored the death penalty in the state in 1978, only 13 executions have taken place.

Newsom explained that his decades of experience in public office had shaped his view of the limits of government power, and that he regards state-sanctioned killing as inconsistent with California's values, damaging to the legal system and harmful to society as a whole.

The announcement comes as Newsom, a Democrat, nears the end of his time as governor of the United States' most populous state, having reached his term limit. He has also been mentioned as a potential contender for the 2028 presidential race. Fellow Democrat Xavier Becerra is expected to succeed him following Tuesday's midterm elections.