KMT legislators call on government, Judicial Yuan to respect public opinion and keep death penalty
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Kuomintang (KMT) lawmakers held a press conference on Friday (March 22) at the Legislative Yuan urging the outgoing Tsai administration and the Constitutional Court not to abolish the death penalty in Taiwan.
The three lawmakers, Wang Hong-wei (王鴻薇), Wang Yu-min (王育敏) and You Hao (游顥), claimed on Friday that nine out of 15 Justices on the Constitutional Court are prepared to vote in favor of abolishing the death penalty within the next few months, reported UDN.
The Constitutional Court will hear arguments on the issue during a session scheduled for April 23. According to legal process, the Constitutional Court will then have the power to make a ruling on the constitutionality of the death penalty within three months.
On Friday, the lawmakers called on the Judicial Yuan and the Tsai administration to respect public opinion and avoid a hasty ruling during the transition between presidential administrations. They presented data saying that 88% of Taiwanese favor maintaining the death penalty for especially inhumane offenses, per UDN.
The lawmakers said that Tsai Ing-wen (英文總) has been trying to remove the death penalty in Taiwan. With the support of justices she appointed to the Constitutional Court, they claim she may have the opportunity to achieve the goal as she exits the presidency on May 20.
A list of nine Constitutional Court justices was presented by the KMT lawmakers at the press conference. Based on the justices’ previous rulings and statements, the lawmakers say the Tsai government likely has enough support to abolish the death penalty via judicial ruling.
Source:
taiwannews.com.tw, Staff, March 22, 2024
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."
— Oscar Wilde
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