“It takes time before answers are found to this conundrum,” he said March 15. “But if a guided discussion is not initiated soon, we risk being mired in emotional arguments forever, and this is not conducive to healthy social development.”
Ma made the remarks while meeting with a group from the Prosecutors Association of Taiwan at the Presidential Office.
This was the first time for the president to publicly comment on capital punishment since former Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng resigned over the issue March 11.
Ma said abolishing capital punishment and staying executions are two different issues that should be addressed separately. “These matters do not completely correlate and can be dealt with separately.”
According to the president, any government looking to strike the death penalty off the statute books must first initiate a series of measured steps. “These include dropping mandatory capital punishment, tightening procedures for issuing death sentences, lengthening prison sentences for serious crimes and raising the parole threshold for life terms.”
Ma conceded, however, that education, debate and publicity on this controversial issue have been seriously inadequate. “The Ministry of Justice and the related law enforcement authorities should devote greater efforts to these areas and create more room for rational debate.”
With repealing the death penalty seemingly a global trend, Ma said it was time for Taiwan to take note of a U.N. resolution calling for a moratorium on the execution of convicted criminals. “As Taiwan hopes to take part in more international activities, it cannot afford to ignore or overlook developments in such areas.”
The president also paid tribute to his former justice minister’s weighty contributions in judicial reform.
“Wang’s approval of using computer monitors in prosecutorial hearings is a commendable reform,” Ma said, adding that this measure has enhanced the accuracy of testimony transcriptions and reduced human error or negligence in the investigative process. (CYH-JSM)