Taipei Times
Date: Mar 27, 2016
By: Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter

A Ministry of Justice-initiated review of “controversial” death penalty cases is too narrow and self-limiting, the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty said yesterday.

“Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) is in the transition period between administrations and should not have issued the order,” said Lin Tzu-wei (林慈偉), the head of the alliance’s legal department, adding that while the “direction” was commendable, because the scope of the review was narrowly limited to “controversial” cases, it could lead to the “deception” that a full review had been conducted.

“What is important about most of these cases is not whether the person committed the crime, but rather what degree of punishment is appropriate,” the lawyer said.

Luo announced the review this week at the suggestion of Supreme Prosecutor Yen Ta-ho (顏大和).

The review is warranted because of the irreversible nature of the death penalty, she said.     [FULL  STORY]