Taiwan's Court Finally Sets A Constitutional Death Penalty But With The Most Strict Supervision

Illustration - Unsplash/tingeyinjurylawfirm

JAKARTA - Taiwan's constitutional court ruled that the death penalty is constitutional but only for the most serious crimes with strictest legal supervision.

The verdict was issued after considering a petition filed by 37 people sentenced to death.

Despite Taiwan's reputation as Asia's most liberal democracy, the death penalty remains popular according to polls, although in recent years it has rarely been committed and crimes with relatively low violence.

The court, which began hearing the case in April, ruled that although the right to life must be protected, such protection is "not absolute," Judge Hsu Tzong-li was quoted as saying by Reuters on Friday, September 20.

Human rights groups in Taiwan, which were under martial law until 1987, said although there were some positive things in the ruling, Taiwan needed to end all executions.

"When will Taiwan finally abolish the death penalty? The way forward will be even more difficult," the Taiwan Alliance said to End the Death Penalty, which supports the case.

However, the presidential office said the decision was an important milestone in Taiwan's justice system.

"The president understands that there are many voices in Taiwanese society, and hopes that everyone will continue to dialogue and communicate with an attitude of understanding, tolerance, and respect," he said.

Taiwan's largest opposition party, Kuomitang, expressed regret, saying the court was basically trying to abolish the death penalty and contradicted the feeling of most of the island's residents.

In 2020, the government announced the execution of a man convicted of killing six people in a arson attack just hours after receiving praise from the European Union for a donation of six million face masks during the COVID pandemic.

The European Union then criticized Taiwan and called for the execution to be stopped.

In neighboring China, rights groups estimate thousands of executions are carried out annually, even though the government does not publish the figures.