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
2010
Protesting the Ministry of Justice's Unlawful Execution of Death Sentences! Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty
Groups including the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, the Judicial Reform Foundation, the Taiwan Association…
2010
Protesting the Ministry of Justice's Hasty Execution of the Death Penalty! Joint Statement by the Judicial Reform Foundation, Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty, and Other Groups
Regarding Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu's signing of death warrants on April 28 for four death row inmates—Chang…
2010
Minister Wang, and Society's Dilemma—Statement by the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty on the Resignation of Minister Wang Ching-feng
Upon taking office, Minister Wang Ching-feng expressed her personal belief in supporting the abolition of the death…
2010
Statement by the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty Regarding Calls to "First Execute Death Penalty Cases Where Sentences Have Been Finalized in Accordance with the Law"
The Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty is gladdened to see more people expressing support for the abolition of…
2006
To Live! To Die? A Confusing and Botched Death Penalty Warrant!
Chung Te-shu, the first death-row inmate for whom the Minister of Justice signed an execution warrant in 2006, walked…
2006
What the Rule of Law Rejects Is Cruelty
Yesterday (June 12), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) held a press conference titled "Taiwan Makes…
2006
Independent Yet Insular Judiciary: Press Conference on the "Top 10 Judicial News Stories of 2005"
The year 2005 came to a close amidst the brilliant fireworks of Taipei 101 and the gasps of hundreds of thousands of…
2004
Minister, Please Stay! Immediately Establish "Standard Operating Procedures for Death Penalty Execution" ~ Human Rights Day Joint Press Conference
Having assumed office as Minister of Justice for less than four months, Minister Ch'en is soon to be promoted to Vice…
2004
President Ch'en Shui-bian and Minister Ch'en Ting-nan, Fulfill Your Promise Starting with This Death Penalty Case
According to reports, in Kaohsiung City, two brothers, Lin Meng-k'ai and Lin Hsin-hung, chased and killed two fellow…
2004
Abolishing the Death Penalty: Ch'en Ting-nan's Resolve Remains Unwavering!
Representatives of the Alliance for the Promotion of Alternative to Death Penalty visited Minister of Justice Ch'en…
2003
"Prayer Walk for Human Rights" and Press Conference for the Establishment of the "Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty"
On the eve of World Human Rights Day this evening (the 9th), the "Coalition for Alternatives to the Death…
2002
A Judiciary That "Refuses" to Admit Fault
Although judges in Taiwan are not popularly elected, they wield the ultimate power of life and death over criminal…