Taiwan Court Limits Death Penalty in Compromise Ruling
- Court upholds penalty for severe crimes but orders safeguards
- Death row inmates petition for abolition of capital punishment
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Taiwan’s Constitutional Court upheld the legality of the death penalty but moved to limit its use, in a decision that strikes a balance between keeping the punishment’s deterrent effect and preventing its abuse.
The court on Friday affirmed the constitutionality of capital punishment but restricted its use to only the most serious crimes under a strict process. The ruling amounts to a compromise as international pressure builds for abolition while Taiwanese residents continue to support harsh punishment to deter offenders.