Taiwan Today

The Executive Yuan announced March 19 that Acting Prosecutor-General Tseng Yung-fu would take over as the new minister of justice following Wang Ching-feng’s recent resignation. Wang resigned last week over her unwillingness to sign execution orders for 44 convicts on death row. Top government officials said Tseng “shares the same position with the executive team” on carrying out the executions. Tseng stated March 19 that he would carry out his duties in accordance with the law regarding those death-row cases in which the appeal process has been completed. On the ongoing debate in society over whether the death penalty should be abolished, Tseng said he would set up a platform for members of the public to voice their opinions on the matter as well as establish a special task force to ensure the people’s rights. Speaking at the Legislative Yuan the same day, Premier Wu Den-yih stressed that Tseng would definitely act in accordance with the law in handling the death-row cases. He added that the more serious cases and those that do not involve any controversy would be dealt with first. Tseng, who graduated with a law degree from National Taiwan University, has served as deputy justice minister in the past. After the Democratic Progressive Party came to power in 2000, he took over as the head of the Supreme Prosecutors Office. On Jan. 19 of this year, he assumed the post of acting prosecutor-general after Chen Tsung-ming stepped down. (SB) (This article originally appeared in the “United Daily News” March 20, 2010.)