Taiwan
Death penalty and prisoners' rights · Archive since 1999
Data card
- Legal status
- Retentionist
- Executions recorded in 2026
- 0
- Executions recorded in 2025
- 1
- First news item in the archive
- JANUARY 1, 1999 · In November 1997, the Parliament approved the death...
- News items in the archive
- 282
Source: Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026.
Taiwan is classified as Retentionist in the Hands Off Cain database, updated to 2026. In 2026 the association recorded 0 executions in the country, against 1 the year before. The archive holds 282 news items on Taiwan, from 1999 to today.
Latest news
- JANUARY 1, 2011TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry...
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry...
- NOVEMBER 12, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN COURT ACQUITS THREE IN 20-YEAR-OLD MURDER CASE
Taiwan's High Court acquitted three men who had been sentenced to death for the murder of a couple 20 years ago.
OCTOBER 22, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: WOMAN GETS DEATH SENTENCE FOR KILLING 3 CAB DRIVERS
the Taiwan Banciao District Court sentenced Jiang Yun-ching, 39, to death three times
- OCTOBER 15, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
a task force set up by the Ministry of Justice to deliberate...
a task force set up by the Ministry of Justice to deliberate...
- AUGUST 12, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SERIAL RAPE
taxi driver Tsao Tien-shou, 53, was sentenced to death in Taiwan for killing a girl in 2000 and raping several others including his daughter, an official at the Keelung district court in northern Taiwan said.
- MAY 31, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
EU DOESN'T ACCEPT DEATH PENALTY
the European Union will not accept the death penalty, a spokeswoman said, suggesting that Taiwan should declare a moratorium or abolish the practice.
- MAY 28, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: LEGALITY OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT UPHELD
the Justices of the Taiwanese Constitutional Court rejected a petition aimed at halting plans to execute the 40 inmates that remain on death row.
MAY 12, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: TIME NOT RIPE FOR DEATH PENALTY REFERENDUM, SAYS JUSTICE MINISTER
Taiwan’s Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu said there was no need to hold a
- MAY 1, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: EU CONDEMNS RESUMPTION OF EXECUTIONS
the European Union condemned the resumption of executions in Taiwan,
- APRIL 30, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: DEATH PENALTY RETURNS, 4 EXECUTED
Taiwan executed four people, the justice ministry said, in the island's first cases of capital punishment since 2005 when the sentence became a sensitive political issue.
- APRIL 22, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN'S CATHOLIC BISHOPS CALL FOR ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY
Catholic bishops in Taiwan urged the government to abolish the death penalty in a statement published in Catholic Weekly.
- APRIL 20, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
in Taiwan, the Taipei High Court sentenced Hsiao Jen-chun and Liao
- APRIL 18, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON DEATH PENALTY SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 21
the first public hearing on abolishing the death penalty in Taiwan will be held April 21 in Taipei County, according to the Justice Ministry.
- APRIL 8, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: GRADUAL ABOLITION OF DEATH PENALTY IS GOVT'S AIM
the gradual abolition of the death penalty is the Taiwanese government's aim, Justice Minister
- MARCH 24, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: TRIO SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER SLAYING OF TEACHER
the Taiwan High Court upheld the death sentences given by the Keelung District Court to three men in
- MARCH 22, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: NEW JUSTICE MINISTER ORDERS DEATH ROW REVIEW
Taiwan's new justice minister, who was appointed after his predecessor refused to authorise executions,
- MARCH 18, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
AMNESTY URGES TAIWAN TO SCRAP DEATH PENALTY
Amnesty International called on Taiwan's President to abolish the death penalty.
MARCH 12, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: JUSTICE MINISTER RESIGNS OVER DEATH PENALTY
Taiwan's justice minister resigned after failing to win support for her opposition
MARCH 11, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: PRESIDENT FAILS TO SUPPORT JUSTICE MINISTER ON ABOLITION DEATH PENALTY
Legal amendments were necessary to cut the number of executions, but Justice Minister
- MARCH 10, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: JUSTICE MINISTER THREATENS TO RESIGN RATHER THAN APPROVE EXECUTIONS
Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng said she’d rather resign than have one prisoner
- MARCH 8, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: HUANG SUPPORTS ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
the Taiwanese Government nominee for top prosecutor said that he supports abolishing the death penalty.
- FEBRUARY 1, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED ONLY AFTER PUBLIC CONSENSUS - JUSTICE MINISTER
Taiwan will gradually push for the abolition of the death penalty after a consensus is formed, Justice Minister Wang Ching-feng said.
- JANUARY 30, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: 74 PERCENT OF PEOPLE ARE FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
74 percent of the people in Taiwan are against the abolition of the capital punishment, and over half of them think death-row inmates should be executed, a latest survey has found.
- JANUARY 1, 2010TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry...
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry...
- DECEMBER 17, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: TAIWAN MAN EXECUTED BY LETHAL INJECTION IN XIAMEN FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
a Taiwan man was executed by lethal injection in Xiamen, China, the Xiamen Intermediate people's court said.
- AUGUST 28, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN SC PUTS FATE OF OFW ALCARAZ ON HOLD
Taiwan’s Supreme Court cancelled the commutation of Filipino worker Cecilia Alcaraz’s death sentence, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said. Alcaraz allegedly robbed and killed her employer Jum Mei Yung on September 12, 2007.
- JUNE 1, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: ACADEMICS CALL FOR REVIEW OF POLICY THAT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT DETERS CRIME
Taiwanese academics urged the government to review its policy on capital punishment by conducting an in-depth study on whether it discourages crime.
- MAY 4, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: COURT COMMUTES FILIPINA’S DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE TERM
the Taiwan High Court commuted the death sentence of handed down to Filipino citizen Cecilia Alcaraz, also known as Nemencia Armia, a 40 year, to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 13, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: DEATH SENTENCE CONFIRMED IN ENDLESS CASE
Taiwan’s longest running criminal case headed again to the Supreme Court after the High Court convicted three defendants in a kidnapping and murder case for the 11th time.
- MARCH 25, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
SENTENCE REDUCED FOR A TAIWANESE MAN
a court in Tainan, Taiwan, reduced three death sentences for a man who killed two wives and three sons to a 20-year prison sentence because he had admitted the murders to police.