Taiwan's Constitutional Court will announce a verdict on whether the death penalty should be abolished on Friday. Wang Xin-fu (王信福) and 36 other death row inmates originally petitioned for this review on the grounds that the death penalty violates the constitutional rights to life, equality, and proportionality.
The Constitutional Court previously held a debate on April 23, inviting the petitioners’ lawyers, representatives from the Justice Ministry, and other legal experts. Per constitutional procedure, judgement is typically announced within three months following the conclusion of any cases that have undergone debate in the Constitutional Court; however, it was announced on July 12 that the period for pronouncing the verdict would be extended by two months.
The Constitutional Court has historically issued three rulings about the death penalty, each time ruling in favor of retaining it.