In the News

Justice minister calls for end to death penalty

• Publication Date：03/10/2010
• Source： United Daily News

Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng called on the government March 9 to usher in an age of enlightenment and refinement in Taiwan by taking the death penalty off the ROC’s statute books.

“The death penalty is the cruelest punishment in the modern world and means nothing to a family that has suffered a loss due to violent crime,” she said. “Moreover, it would cause more harm than good to the victim’s family.”

“Given that a verdict is delivered by a judge, as opposed to God, the decision-making process is fundamentally flawed,” she said. “From this perspective, there is no denying that the death penalty should be seen as the most dangerous of punishments.”

Wang said she respected calls to execute 44 convicts on death row made by Deputy Justice Minister Huang Shih-ming, government nominee for top prosecutor, but would continue advocating the abolishment of the death penalty without fear of losing her job.

“Research shows that abolishing the death penalty does not lead to an increase in crime,” Wang said. “No one has been executed in Taiwan since December 2005 and the national crime rate has not risen.”

The minister said the government should do more to educate the public on the value of human life.

“Only through strong public backing of such a change will the government take steps to do away with capital punishment,” she said. “We hope that someday, the people of Taiwan will be proud of their efforts in helping remedy this unsatisfactory state of affairs.” (CYH-JSM)