Taiwan
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- semi-presidential republic
- CONSTITUTION
- December 25, 1947, amended several times, last in 2005
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- is based on civil law
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral, Legislative Yuan
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Judicial Yuan, with judges appointed by the President for nine years with the consent of the National Assembly
RELIGIONS
Confucian and Buddhist majorities; Protestant and Catholic minorities
From the country
MAY 20, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: AFTER 19 YEARS ON DEATH ROW, HSIEH CHIH-HUNG FREED
The High Court’s Tainan branch on 15 May 2020 overturned a death sentence on rape and murder charges against Hsieh Chih-hung based on new findings from the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office after it restarted the investigation.
APRIL 21, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: COALITION PETITIONS PRESIDENT TO PARDON DEATH ROW INMATE TORTURED INTO CONFESSION
One week after Taiwan saw its second execution during the tenure of President Tsai Ing-wen, a coalition of NGOs, lawyers, and academics sent her a petition for a presidential pardon for another inmate — Chiou Ho-shun, who over three decades ago was senten
- APRIL 15, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
CZECH REPUBLIC: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT BARS EXTRADITION OF 8 TAIWANESE TO CHINA
The Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic on 9 April 2020 ruled that eight Taiwanese charged with being involved in cross-border telecom fraud cannot be extradited to the People’s Republic of China.
APRIL 7, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: HIGH COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE FOR HUASHAN GRASSLAND KILLER
The Taiwan High Court on 7 April 2020 overturned the death penalty for a man convicted of raping, killing and dismembering a woman in the Huashan Grassland in Taipei in 2018, and instead sentenced him to life in prison.
APRIL 2, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: INMATE CONVICTED IN SIX DEATHS EXECUTED
A death row inmate was executed on 1st April 2020 in Taiwan, less than a year after he was convicted of killing six people by setting fire to his home.
- JANUARY 1, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty is provided for murder, drug offenses, treason and military offenses.
The death penalty is provided for murder, drug offenses, treason and military offenses.
AUGUST 6, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: ARCHER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER OF WOMAN IN TAIPEI'S HUASHAN GRASSLAND
An archery instructor has been found guilty of murdering his female student and dismembering her into 13 pieces and has been sentenced to death.
MAY 16, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: EU URGES TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The EU on 14 May 2019 called on Taiwan to introduce a temporary moratorium on the death penalty after a bilateral meeting on human rights in Brussels.
- MAY 9, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: DEATH PENALTY FOR SPIES
Lawmakers in Taiwan voted on 7 May 2019 to amend existing laws to enforce heavier penalties against anyone – locals, Hong Kongers or mainland residents – who leak state secrets or spy for Beijing.
MARCH 29, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: PREMIER APPROVES DEATH PENALTY FOR DRUNK DRIVING
Premier Su Tseng-chang on 28 March 2019 approved draft amendments to the Criminal Code that could see drunk drivers deemed to have caused fatalities with murderous intent sentenced to death.
- MARCH 20, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
BRITISH OFFICE TAIPEI CALLS FOR TAIWAN TO END DEATH PENALTY
The British Office Taipei, which maintains and develops relations between the United Kingdom and Taiwan, called on 18 March 2019 for Taiwan to abolish the death penalty on the basis of human rights.
FEBRUARY 21, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR ARSONIST
The Taiwan High Court on 20 February 2019 upheld convicted arsonist Weng Jen-hsien’s death sentence.