Right to Life
Core Philosophy
The right to life is the most fundamental foundation of all human rights. Taiwan still retains the death penalty and has successively carried out executions. The Judicial Reform Foundation believes that regardless of the ultimate direction of criminal policy, the due process and transparency of capital punishment are unavoidable demands at present.
"Abolishing the death penalty is not condoning criminals, but refusing to let the state respond to killing with killing. True justice cannot be built upon the extinction of another life."
— Taiwan Alliance to End the Death PenaltyThe core issues we focus on include: Can the death penalty effectively deter crime? How can the risk of wrongful convictions be prevented? Do execution procedures comply with the strictest standards of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)? And in the face of the grief of victims and society, are there more restorative alternative choices?
Three Key Dimensions of Concern
Procedural Justice
Does the execution comply with statutory procedures? Are there minimum safeguards such as the presence of legal counsel, notification of family members, and psychological evaluations? Have all avenues of relief been exhausted prior to execution?
Alignment with International Human Rights
Pursuant to Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, states should restrict the application of the death penalty to the "most serious crimes" and continuously strive toward its abolition.
Exploring Alternatives
In the process of abolishing the death penalty, how can victims' families be comforted? How can society's expectations for public safety be met? How should alternative systems such as life imprisonment be designed?
Important Statements and Selected Articles
Related Organizations and Resources
Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty (TAEDP) is a civil organization dedicated to abolishing the death penalty over the long term, and the JRF is one of its co-advocacy partners. To learn more about arguments and international information regarding the abolition of the death penalty, please visit the official website of the TAEDP: www.taedp.org.tw
Amnesty International releases a global death penalty report annually, tracking execution and abolition trends across countries: amnesty.org (English)
Last Edited: 2026-04-28
2025
Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations | Adding Death Penalty Provisions Fails to Deter Child Abuse
Constitutional Court Judgment No. 8 of the 2023 (113) Judicial Yuan (hereinafter "113-Hsien-Pan-8") rendered a…
2025
Joint Statement | Over 100 Scholars and Civil Society Organizations Call on the Ministry of Justice to Amend the Rules on the Regulations for Executing the Death Penalty
109 scholars (with the list of signatories continuing to grow) from fields such as law, sociology, and crime…
2025
Statement by Attorney Li Ming-ju | 2024 Global Death Penalty Report
Although civil society organizations were inevitably disappointed by Constitutional Court Judgment No. 8 of 2024,…
2025
Joint Statement | Minister of Justice's Unlawful Execution of the Death Penalty Makes Society More Insecure Regarding the Ministry of Justice's Unlawful Execution of the Death Penalty for Huang Lin-k'ai
The execution of the death penalty in violation of procedural justice and constitutional judgments will not make…
2025
CSO’s Joint Press Release on Huang Linkai’s Death Penalty Execution
The execution of the death penalty, which violates procedural justice and Constitutional Court's Judgment 113…
2025
Statement | Pursuant to Article 3 of the Rules for the Execution of Death Penalties, We Request the Executing Prosecutor to Stay the Execution of the Death Penalty
We request the executing prosecutor, based on their official authority and legal conviction loyal to the intent of…
2025
Unlawful Execution is Inherently Wanton Murder｜Civil Society Groups’ solemn condemnation to the death penalty execution by the Ministry of Justice
According to media reports, the Ministry of Justice will carry out another execution at 9 pm tonight. Currently, all…
2025
Statement | Unlawful Execution is Tantamount to Arbitrary Killing: Joint Statement by Civil Society Organizations Condemning the Ministry of Justice's Resumption of Capital Punishment
There is still an hour and a half left until the execution time reported by the media. Unlawful execution is no…
2016
Nationwide Judicial Reform Tour: Legal Professionals on a Tightrope @ Fu-Cheng Old Bookstore
This forum features Judge Chen Chin-hsien, who has long focused on human rights and justice, and Attorney Huang…
2015
A Half-Open Door Letting in No Sunlight: Judicial Reform and Human Rights Organizations' Earnest Expectations of the Supreme Court
The "Taiwan Death Penalty Report" published by civil society organizations in 2010 publicly called on the Supreme Court…
2015
Must Chen Hsing-tzu Be the Killer Because He Is Not Stupid?
How did Chen Hsing-tzu shoot and kill a police officer? It is left entirely to imagination! The crime scene inspection…
2014
"Abandoned" to Justice: Court Observation Notes on the Ts'eng Wen-ch'in Case
On September 5 of this year, the high-profile "throat-slitting case" held its second-instance oral argument at the…