The Constitutional Court in April is to hear oral arguments on whether the death penalty is constitutional, and a ruling is to be made in three months, with an extension of two months allowed if needed, it said on Thursday.
Thirty-seven death-row prisoners have filed a petition for a ruling on whether the death penalty is unconstitutional based on the principles of the right to life, human dignity and proportionality.
The Constitutional Court said that it would review a petition filed in 2022 by Wang Xin-fu (王信福), the oldest man on death row in Taiwan, along with related cases filed by death-row prisoners, in an oral argument session to be held from 10am to 4pm on April 23.
Photo: Taipei Times file
The arguments could center on two questions.
The first is whether the death penalty, a legally prescribed punishment, is constitutional.
The court said it wants to clarify whether, in addition to the right to life, the death penalty infringes upon other rights protected by the Constitution, such as the right not to be tortured or the right to human dignity; whether the pursued goals of the death penalty system are constitutional; and whether there are other means of punishment and supplementary measures available if the death penalty is deemed unconstitutional.
The second question is if the death penalty is determined to be constitutional, whether the court should limit the types of crimes that it can be applied to.
The court said it would also seek clarity on whether the crimes that the petitioners were sentenced to death for are still constitutional and why, and whether the scope of criminal death sentences should be limited, as Article 19 of the Criminal Code stipulates that an offense is not punishable if it is committed by a person who has a mental disorder or disability, and the punishment may be reduced as a result of their capacity for judgement.
Under the Constitutional Court Procedure Act (憲法訴訟法), the verdict should be pronounced within three months after an oral argument, and an extension of two months is allowed when necessary.
The cases originally included three other death-row prisoners, but they had died of illnesses in detention centers, so their cases would not be reviewed this time.
As Judicial Vice President Tsai Chiung-tun (蔡炯燉), Grand Justice Tsai Tsai-chen (蔡彩貞) and Grand Justice Greg Yo (尤伯祥) have participated in the trials of death-row prisoners, they would not participate in the hearing, the Constitutional Court said.
Japan has deployed long-range missiles in a southwestern region near China, the Japanese defense minister said yesterday, at a time when ties with Beijing are at their lowest in recent years. The missiles were installed in Kumamoto in the southern region of Kyushu, as Japan is attempting to shore up its military capacity as China steps up naval activity in the East China Sea. “Standoff defense capabilities enable us to counter the threat of enemy forces attempting to invade our country ... while ensuring the safety of our personnel,” Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi said. “This is an extremely important initiative for
MORE POPULAR: Taiwan Pass sales increased by 59 percent during the first quarter compared with the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said The Tourism Administration yesterday said that it has streamlined the Taiwan Pass, with two versions available for purchase beginning today. The tourism agency has made the pass available to international tourists since 2024, allowing them to access the high-speed rail, Taiwan Railway Corp services, four MRT systems and four Taiwan Tourist Shuttles. Previously, five types of Taiwan Pass were available, but some tourists have said that the offerings were too complicated. The agency said only two types of Taiwan Pass would be available, starting from a three-day pass with the high-speed rail and a three-day pass with Taiwan Railway Corp. The former costs NT$2,800
POLLS CONCERNS: There are concerns within the KMT that a Cheng Li-wun-Xi Jinping meeting could trigger a voter backlash in elections in November Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) accepted an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to visit next month, her party and Chinese state media reported yesterday. Cheng, who took up her role in November last year, “gladly accepted” the invitation to lead a delegation to China, the KMT said in a statement, confirming a Xinhua news agency report. Cheng “looks forward to joint efforts by both parties to advance the peaceful development of cross-strait relations, promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, and work for peace in the Taiwan Strait and greater well-being for people on both sides,” the statement said. Chinese
SIGNIFICANT TO THE WORLD: The delegation’s visit aims to send a clear message that bipartisan support for Taiwan is consistent, US Senator Jeanne Shaheen said The US Senate’s bipartisan support for Taiwan remains strong and Taiwan-US ties would continue for decades to come, a US Senate delegation said in Taipei yesterday, while calling on the legislature to swiftly pass a special defense budget bill. A US delegation led by Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican US Senator John Curtis — both members of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations — arrived in Taiwan yesterday for a two-day visit. The other senators of the delegation included Senate Taiwan Caucus cochair Thom Tillis and Senate Committee on Armed Services senior member Jacky Rosen. Shaheen told a news
RSS