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
- APRIL 30, 2007TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER
Chuang Tien-chu was sentenced to death, in Taiwan, this month...
- FEBRUARY 2, 2007TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
DEATH SENTENCE OF TAOYUAN CAB DRIVER APPROVED
the Taiwan Supreme Court approved the death sentence for Wang Hsiu-fang, who was convicted of murdering a woman and her daughter.
- JANUARY 31, 2007TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: DEATH SENTENCE FOR MURDER APPROVED
after many appeals, the Supreme Court of Taiwan this month approved the High Court's death sentence for Wang Hsiu-fang, a taxi driver convicted of murdering a woman and her three year old daughter in 1996
- JANUARY 10, 2007TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN CONSIDERS ABOLISHING THE DEATH PENALTY
the Taiwanese Ministry of Justice said that it will solicit views from all sectors of society on whether to abolish capital punishment.
- JANUARY 1, 2007TaiwanDEATH 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 22, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. LAWMAKERS OK NEW DEATH PENALTY RULES
Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan passed amendments to several laws, including one that give judges greater leeway in deciding whether to mete out death or life sentences to convicts engaged in serious currency counterfeiting and members of the troops who disobey
- OCTOBER 11, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. DEATH PENALTY TO BE PHASED OUT GRADUALLY: MINISTER
the death penalty will be phased out in a gradual manner, Taiwan’s Minister of Justice Shih Mao-lin said.
- JUNE 13, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. NO VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said that Taiwan had not violated any human rights principles in its handling of capital punishment cases or in its treatment of death-row inmates, but it promised to refer to other countries' measures to refine the existing
- APRIL 26, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. BROTHERS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDERING POLICEMAN
the Taiwan High Court imposed the death penalty on two brothers who killed a policeman in Sijih, suburban Taipei, on April 10, 2005.
- MARCH 31, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. GOVERNMENT TO KEEP CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
TAIWAN. GOVERNMENT TO KEEP CAPITAL PUNISHMENT March 31, 2006: the government of Taiwan has no plans to abolish capital punishment but will further step up measures to meet high public expectations for better public order, Premier Su Tseng- chang said.
- MARCH 27, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. PROSECUTORS STARE DEATH IN THE FACE
Chang Chin-tu , a prosecutor at the Kaohsiung bureau of the Taiwan High Prosecutors' Office, who had been in charge of executions for eight years, told reporters that all prisoners received anaesthesia and were unconscious before being shot. "Prisoners wh
- FEBRUARY 22, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. TWO TAIWANESE EXECUTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
two Taiwanese nationals convicted of drug trafficking were executed in southern China's Guangdong province after being convicted of possessing 12 kilograms (26.4 pounds) of the methamphetamine ice.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. JUSTICE MINISTRY WORKING TO REDUCE EXECUTION RATE
while the government of Taiwan had not been able to achieve its goal of abolishing the death penalty, it had managed to lower the number of executions, the Ministry of Justice said.
- FEBRUARY 20, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
it was reported that a former Taipei County senior high school teacher...
it was reported that a former Taipei County senior high school teacher...
- JANUARY 23, 2006TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. DEATH ROW INMATE COMMITS SUICIDE, ‘WAITING FOR EXECUTION TOO PAINFUL’
a death row prisoner in Taiwan committed suicide due to being unable to bear the pain of waiting for the execution.
- JANUARY 1, 2006TaiwanDEATH 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 31, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
it was reported that public opinion polls had shown that 80 per cent...
it was reported that public opinion polls had shown that 80 per cent of Taiwanese opposed abolishing the death penalty
- DECEMBER 31, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. TAIWAN PLANS ON INTODUCING CHINESE STYLE DEATH PENALTY WITH TWO YEARS SUSPENSION, JUSTICE MINISTER
the United Daily News (UDN) quoted Taiwan’s Justice Minister Shih Mao-lin as saying that Taipei was studying the possibility of following China's example of issuing a “death penalty with two years suspension” to give criminals a chance to repent.
- DECEMBER 26, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
two brothers, Lin Meng-kai e Lin Hsin-hung...
two brothers, Lin Meng-kai e Lin Hsin-hung...
- NOVEMBER 27, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING GIRLFRIEND
Chang Chih-hui, a suspect in the murder of Pai Hsiao-yen, the 17-year-old daughter of TV entertainer Pai Ping-ping, was sentenced to death by the Taiwan High Court for the murder of his girlfriend in October 2004.
- NOVEMBER 23, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. TWO MEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR CANNIBALISM
the Taiwan High Court in Taichung sentenced to death Chen Chin-huo and Kuang Teh-chiang for raping, murdering, and cannibalizing a female insurance agent.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
LAOS. TWO TAIWANESE SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
a Lao court sentenced to death two Taiwanese men for drug trafficking.
- OCTOBER 24, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry, commonly known as the Bandit Law.
On January 8, 2002, Taiwan’s parliament abolished the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry, commonly known as the Bandit Law.
- SEPTEMBER 7, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. COUNTRY TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian vowed to the abolish death penalty so that Taiwan could become a country founded on the basis of human rights.
- JULY 11, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR POISONING ENERGY DRINKS WITH CYANIDE
Wang Ching-chan, a Taiwan man, was sentenced to death for poisoning energy drinks with cyanide in a botched extortion attempt that left one person dead.
- JUNE 26, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. POP SINGER’S BROTHER EXECUTED FOR HEROIN SMUGGLING
the brother of Taiwan pop singer Yu Tien and a further seven Taiwanese were executed by Chinese authorities for drug-related cases to mark international anti-drugs day.
- JUNE 15, 2005ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. GUANGZHOU COURT SENTENCES TWO TAIWANESE WOMEN TO DEATH
the Guangzhou City Intermediate People's Court sentenced to death two Taiwanese women
- JUNE 1, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. MAN FACES DEATH PENALTY FOR POISONING ENERGY DRINKS WITH CYANIDE
Wang Ching-chan, a Taiwan national, faced the death penalty for poisoning high-energy drinks with cyanide in a botched extortion attempt that killed one man and made three more ill, prosecutors said.
- MARCH 23, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN. MORATORIUM ON DEATH PENALTY RECOMMENDED
before complete and unconditional abolition of the death penalty is enshrined in the law, the government of Taiwan could consider suspending the use of the death penalty as an interim measure, said Nicholas Howen, secretary-general of the International Co
- JANUARY 25, 2005TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
the Taiwan High Court's Taichung branch upheld the Taichung District Court's death sentence
the Taiwan High Court's Taichung branch upheld the Taichung District Court's death sentence