Death penalty in Taiwan

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★ <BBC> , <Amnesty International> UK , Dec. 22, 2012

Taiwan has executed six death row inmates, the first use of the death penalty this year...

Campaigning human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the move as "cold-blooded killing".

The executions - by shooting - "made a mockery of the authorities' stated commitment to abolish the death penalty", Amnesty said in a statement.

"It is abhorrent to justify taking someone's life because prisons are overcrowded or the public's alleged support for the death penalty," the statement said.

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★ <Amnesty International> UK , 2013 report
( http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/taiwan/report-2013 )

Six men were executed – all in December; 55 prisoners were awaiting execution and had exhausted all appeals. From December, hearings of all death penalty cases at the Supreme Court were required to include oral arguments on sentencing and related issues by both prosecution and defence lawyers. The panel of judges would then also take into consideration the opinion of victims’ families in determining the sentence.

On 31 August, after 21 years of litigation, the High Court reconfirmed a “not guilty verdict” and freed the “Hsichih Trio”. Other death penalty cases similarly involving torture and forced confessions remained unresolved.
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★ French Ministry of Foreign , and European Affairs, Dec. 26, 2012

France has condemned the execution of six death-row inmates by Taiwan ― A statement issued by the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said Paris “condemns the execution of six sentenced to death in Taiwan [on] December 21, 2012."

France urged the restoration of the moratorium on capital punishment observed in Taiwan between 2006 and 2010 and called on the country to “open a national debate on the future of the death penalty.”... The international human rights group criticized the Taiwanese government for breaking its previous commitments to abolish the death penalty and failing to fulfill its international legal obligations under the UN human rights covenants of which it is a signatory — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights...
2 experts — Manfred Nowak, a professor at the University of Vienna, and Eibe Riedel, a member of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights — wrote to Ma last month asking him to guarantee that no executions would be carried out before their visit.
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★ <Washington Post>, USA, Dec. 22, 2012

...But Wang Chien-hsuen, head of the government watchdog Control Yuan, said Taiwan should keep capital punishment to maintain justice and public safety. “Many people have advocated abolishment of capital punishment to follow the international trend, but we should have our own standards,” Wang said. In a statement, human rights group Amnesty International condemned Taiwan’s government for “credibly claiming it wants to see an end to the death penalty when it continues to conduct such actions.”...
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◎ Protest Against The Ministry of Justice’s Illegal Executions
...... Amnesty International (AI) published a news release to denounce the Taiwanese government for resuming executions and stated that this move has seriously damaged Taiwan’s human rights record. ......
We are shocked and enraged at these so-called "executions according to law".
◎ Illegal Execution of Chang Chun-Hong
On behalf of the 44 death row inmates, TAEDP asked 7 lawyers to demand a constitutional interpretation from the Grand Justices of the Judicial Yuan. ......
TAEDP contacted the four death row inmates after receiving the letter. Chang Chun-Hong then sent the letter of authorization with his signature on April 26th. He showed his willingness to appoint TAEDP’s lawyers to demand a constitutional interpretation. Therefore, Chang’s demand was without question totally legal.
...... the staff replied that Ke was banned from meeting anyone. ...... Thus, we had no idea whether Ke refused to approve the demand for constitutional interpretations.
http://asiadeathpenalty.blogspot.com/2010/05/taiwan-human-rights-protest-over.html
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New !

Ranking world No. 3 on Yahoo by keyword "death penalty in Taiwan", test at 1.7.2015,
details pls. ref. to World No.1 ranking 2015 !

This web site ranked No.1 in Google by Chinese keyword "Death penalty Taiwan", at Dec. 13, 2010

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★ < WikiPedia >

The Number of Executed People in Taiwan since 1987

1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
10	22	69	78	59	35	18	17	16	22	38
1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006~2009	2010
32	24	17	10	9	7	3	3	0	4

Capital punishment has in the past been practiced in virtually every society, although currently only 58 nations actively practice it, with 95 countries abolishing it (the remainder having not used it for 10 years or allowing it only in exceptional circumstances such as wartime). It is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political ideology or cultural region.
for precise meaning pls refer to Chinese version

PS
Some people know how to pro. play the law to kill, murder or assassinate people's life or reputation on ugly & dirty political purpose again and again.
Some cases in Taiwan defeated the law and drew all Taiwanese attention
― i.e., 'massacre' case of Liu Pang-yu, the head of Taoyuan county, worst ever mass-murder in Taiwan's history,
― i.e., murder case of Navy Captain Yin Cheng-feng,......
The president of Taiwan's Control Yuan, Wang C. S. (awarded best Minister of Finance in Asia), had a widely-known saying during his mayor election campaign ― most Taiwanese politicians should be executed (shot, death penalty).

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Executions of five men in Taiwan condemned

Five executions spark concern in EU, Germany

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★ <Wikipedia > Oct. 15, 2010 Controversial death sentences

There are accounts in which the organs were retrieved from the executed prisoners while they were still medically alive. Torture also exists in the investigation process, which may interfere with the credibility of the verdict......

EDITORIAL : Taiwan and the death penalty

Germany condemns the executions in Taiwan ...

★ <Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) > Press Release May, 1st, 2010
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The Number of Executed People in Taiwan since 1987

Taiwan	Taiwanese don't trust judges	why trust death penalty judgments ?
◆ Bloomberg, 2024-9-20:The court affirmed the constitutionality of capital punishment but restricted its use to only the most serious crimes, while emphasizing the need for better safeguards. The ruling reflects a compromise between international pressure for abolition and domestic support for harsh punishment to deter offenders.。More than 70% of countries around the world have abolished capital punishment in law or practice。In 2009, lawmakers ratified the UN’s two covenants on human rights, one of which calls for the abolition of the death penalty. A May poll found nearly 85% of respondents favor keeping capital punishment. The opposition Kuomintang (KMT) strongly supports the penalty, but the DPP has been relatively in favor of abolishing capital punishment yahoo.com/news/top-taiwan-court-rule-legal-230000763.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall 　 ◆ Amnesty International, 2024-9-20: The Taiwanese authorities must now amend the relevant provisions within the two-year timeframe given to ensure fundamental safeguards are put in place. Taiwan did not exclude those with mental and intellectual disabilities from the use of the death penalty completely. We urge the government of Taiwan to immediately establish an official moratorium on executions as a first critical step. The death penalty is inherently cruel and does not make us safer. The authorities of Taiwan must act to swiftly commute all death sentences, bring about reforms to the criminal justice system that prioritize the protection of human rights and abolish the death penalty once and for all. The death penalty violates the human right to life and the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as reflected in the development of international human rights law and standards. amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/taiwan-constitutional-court-recognizes-fundamental-flaws-in-death-penalty-but-fails-to-abolish-it/ 　 ◆ Human Rights Watch, 2024-9-23: Taiwan's top court ruled that the death penalty was constitutional with greater protections, permits the continued use of the inherently cruel punishment. The court's new judgment aimed to strengthen due process rights, including by requiring unanimous sentencing by a panel of judges. The court missed a major opportunity to abolish this inherently cruel practice, “Taiwan's government should take the next step and immediately place a moratorium on death penalty use.”...a new requirement that the suspect or the accused must be represented by a lawyer during the investigation and police inquiry stages for the “most serious” crimes. Since 2002, all executions carried out have been for the crime of murder, most recently in 2020.“Taiwan could cement its reputation as a regional leader on human rights issues by abolishing the death penalty,” Henderson said. “The risks of a wrongful, irreversible punishment should be off the table entirely.” hrw.org/news/2024/09/23/taiwan-top-court-upholds-death-penalty-protections 　 ◆ Reuters, 2024-9-20: The death penalty remains broadly popular according to opinion polls, though in recent years it has only rarely been carried out and violent crime is relatively low. 　 ◆ EFE, 2024-9-20: During the last eight years of government of the Democratic Progressive Party, only two people were executed in Taiwan, a figure that contrasts with the more than 250 deaths recorded in the 1990s. Taiwanese people, despite holding progressive views on a wide variety of social issues, advocates the maintenance of the death penalty. Nearly 86 percent of the island’s citizens are against abolishing the death penalty, according to a study carried out by the National Chung Cheng University of Crime Research Center in 2023. efe.com/en/latest-news/2024-09-20/taiwans-top-court-upholds-constitutionality-of-capital-punishment-but-limits-its-use/ 　 ◆ United Daily (Taiwan, 聯合報), 2024-9-22: The court shows kitsch style, not only wants to achieve the goal of abolishing death penalty, but also wants to gain political benefit/dividents (政治紅利); their judgment concerning capital punishment is like fraud tactics.udn.com/news/story/7338/8242825?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate 　 ◆ DW (Germany), 2024-4-24: Taiwan's long-awaited debate on the death penalty is considered a historic step that human rights groups believe will decide the future of capital punishment in Taiwan / ⊙ a majority of Taiwanese oppose the abolition of the death penalty ⊙ tv.Guardian, DW video: Taiwan's claim to be a regional bastion of human rights is undermined by its retention of capital punishment, activists say. ⊙ attorney: " If we can understand the process of a criminal's downfall, why do we focus on killing the fallen angel while overlooking the Satan who led them astray?" ⊙ co-executive director of the Death Penalty Project : "Taiwan has said for many years that they're on a road to abolition," Lehrfreund told DW. "But my question is, is that road too long politically and that not enough progress has been made politically to move away from the death penalty?" ⊙ According to a 2022 report by Amnesty International, close to three-quarters of governments around the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, almost none of which ended the death penalty due to the public demand or support for it, the public "followed the political lead or the judicial lead" and have eventually accepted abolition. Human rights groups believe constitutional interpretation could pave the way for formal abolition of death sentences... ⊙ the issue is often being used as "some kind of political maneuvering." dw.com/en/taiwans-death-penalty-and-debate-over-constitutional-rights/a-68909105 Yuchen Li 　 ◆ Taipei Times (Taiwan), 2024-4-24: ⊙ Attorney Nigel Lee (李念祖) said it has yet to be proven that the death penalty deters crimes and offers retributive justice to victims. “The death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment. In practice, death sentences could be meted out unreasonably,”“If the law does not allow people to resort to violence to resolve a violent crime, then judges should have no right to do so either.” ⊙ A Ministry of Justice survey showed that Taiwanese could support abolition if there are supporting measures. ⊙ Ministry of Justice: the Constitutional Court has always ruled that the death penalty is constitutional. The death penalty is handed down based on the principle of culpability and shows that people must be responsible for their actions ⊙ National Chung Cheng University, prof: using life imprisonment with the possibility of parole is unfeasible. Situations in Taiwan have shown a high recidivism among those who were sentenced to a number of years in prison, which also shows that such a method cannot deter crime. taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/04/24/2003816864 Shelley Shan 　 ◆ China Times (中時) editorial, 2024-4-6: The current society still has a strong thinking that criminals should be punished. If the Constitutional Court's judgment in the future goes against the overwhelming majority of public opinion, it will inevitably cause a huge impact on society.; The justices have issued Interpretations No. 194, 263, and 476 (死刑是否違憲釋字) all believed that the death penalty in the law is constitutional and does not violate the Constitution's intention to protect people's right to exist. Based on the fact that more than 80% of public opinion supports the death penalty, the Legislative Yuan and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party will not dare to rashly amend the law and abolish death penalty. chinatimes.com/opinion/20240406002002-262101?chdtv 　 ◆ United Daily (聯合報) editorial, 2024-2-29: Many people are opposed to abolishing the death penalty, mainly because of poor public security, declining social ethics, and endless cruel criminal cases. udn.com/news/story/7338/7798534?from=udn_ch2_menu_v2_main_cate 　 ◆ DW (Germany), 2022-10-23: German parliamentary human rights committee delegation (Peter Heidt, Heike Engelhardt, Derya Türk-Nachbaur , Michael Brand , Carsten Brodesser ) arrived at Taiwan and discussed human rights issues including the death penalty with their Taiwanese counterparts. Capital punishment is still a statute on the books in Taiwan. dw.com/en/german-lawmakers-arrive-in-taiwan-amid-tensions-with-china/a-63530806 msn.com/en-us/news/world/german-lawmakers-arrive-in-taiwan-amid-tensions-with-china/ar-AA13hMCZ

Executions of five men in Taiwan condemned

Five executions spark concern in EU, Germany

◎ ★ <Wikipedia > Oct. 15, 2010 Controversial death sentences

There are accounts in which the organs were retrieved from the executed prisoners while they were still medically alive. Torture also exists in the investigation process, which may interfere with the credibility of the verdict......

EDITORIAL : Taiwan and the death penalty

Germany condemns the executions in Taiwan ...

★ <Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) > Press Release May, 1st, 2010 ◎

The Number of Executed People in Taiwan since 1987

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★ <Wikipedia > Oct. 15, 2010 Controversial death sentences

★ <Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) > Press Release May, 1st, 2010
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