Justice Minister Wang Chin-feng has come under fire from a broad cross-section of Taiwan society, including government officials and legal professionals, for her call to halt the executions of death row prisoners.

Control Yuan member Gau Feng-shian, a former Taiwan High Court judge, said the minister’s comments should be seen strictly as personal opinions.

“The decision to execute 44 convicts on death row should be based on law, rather than just Wang’s say-so,” she said.

Chao Chang-ping, also a Control Yuan member, said the justice minister must approve carrying out the death sentences, otherwise her actions constitute professional negligence.

“Under the law, convicts on death row must be executed unless a reasonable excuse is presented,” Chao said, adding that he would look into the appropriateness of Wang’s actions to determine whether it ran contrary to the principles of fairness and the rule of law.

Chuang Hsiu-ming, a high-profile local lawyer, said that as long as the death penalty remains on the ROC’s statute books, Wang’s actions in refusing to authorize executions are a violation of the law and the Constitution.

“As the country’s justice minister, it is inappropriate for Wang to speak out against capital punishment,” he said.

According to the Judicial Reform Foundation, a Taipei-based nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting judicial reform in Taiwan, Wang should be applauded for having the “guts” to tackle the tricky death penalty issue.

“Given that doing away with capital punishment is part of the administration’s policy platform, there is little likelihood of this issue being swept under the carpet,” JRF Director Lin Feng-cheng said.

“The government has a responsibility to stick its head above the parapet and state its position on this policy.” (CYH-JSM)

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