The Ministry of Justice is to propose amendments to the Criminal Code that would increase fines for illegal abortions to NT$80,000 (US$2,498) from NT$3,000, saying the current penalties are “anachronistic.”
The ministry would propose the bill in 14 days to amend Articles 288 and 290, and revoke Article 292 of the Criminal Code, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to the draft, the fine for pregnant women who abort a fetus would be increased to NT$80,000 from NT$3,000, while the fine for carrying out an abortion for purposes of gain would be raised to NT$500,000 from NT$15,000.
Photo: Chen Tse-ming, Taipei Times
Those who at the request or with the consent of a pregnant woman cause an abortion for purposes of gain would be fined NT$2 million, up from NT$15,000, if their commission of the offense results in her death, or NT$1 million, up from NT$15,000, if aggravated injury results, it says.
Not all abortions are a crime, as pregnant women could still have an abortion pursuant to the Genetic Health Act (優生保健法) if her bodily autonomy and the fetus’ right to life are respected, the ministry said.
However, abortions should be limited, as a fetus is “a living being growing into a person,” whose right to life should not be deprived or infringed, it said, citing similar laws in Germany and Japan.
Other regulations were established to allow women to get an abortion under circumstances in line with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, it added.
As illegal abortions could be committed in many ways, the constituent element stating that an abortion is conducted “by taking drugs or by other means” would be deleted, the ministry said.
The fines have become “anachronistic” and would be increased to align with the penalty brackets of the Criminal Code, it added.
The punishment for pregnant women who cause her abortion or permit others to cause her abortion in situations necessitated by illness or life-threatening conditions — other than those specified in the Genetic Health Act — would be revised from “remitted” to “not punishable,” it said.
Article 292, which stipulates penalties and punishments for advertising abortion, would be deleted, following the example of Germany.
The Medical Care Act (醫療法) has set out regulations on advertisements for medical care, it said.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
RSS