In the News

Justice minister resigns in death penalty dispute

Outgoing Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng announces her resignation late in the evening of March 11. (CNA)

• Publication Date：03/12/2010
• Source： United Daily News

Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng tendered her resignation late March 11, despite saying earlier in the day that she would not step down over the row on enforcing the death penalty.

Following Wang’s surprise move, Premier Wu Den-yih immediately reported to President Ma Ying-jeou, and both approved her resignation. “Under the law, convicts on death row must be executed,” Wu said. “But I fully understand and respect Minister Wang’s personal opinion.”

Wang’s resignation follows the Presidential Office’s failure to back her refusal to carry out the executions of 44 convicts on death row.

Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang said in a news conference, “Executions of death row inmates can only be postponed when there is a legally sufficient reason. Otherwise, the Ministry of Justice must handle them properly in accordance with the law.”

“Taiwan is a country governed by the rule of law and everything must be achieved in accordance with the law,” he added.

“Abolishing the death penalty is a global trend that cannot be ignored, but only with strong public backing of such a change will the government take steps to do away with capital punishment,” Lo said, adding that more “rational discussion” is required on this issue.

“The government will study how to revise the law to reduce the number of executions, and in the meantime, extend jail terms for severe crimes and raise the parole threshold,” he said.

The controversy over enforcing the death penalty began after Wang publicly called on the government to halt executions of death row prisoners. Wang’s comments have drawn fire from a broad cross-section of Taiwan society, including government officials, lawmakers and legal professionals. (CYH-THN)