Why the State Stops to Kill: The Death Penalty and the Rule of Law in Taiwan

Abstract

Introduction ............................................................................. 111 I. Mass State Killings in Secret: 1949-1987 ............................. 112 II. From 78 Executions to Zero: 1988-2009 ............................. 115 III. Resumption of Executions: 2010-2016 .............................. 119 A. Legal Issue: Discretionary Power in Executions? ......... 122 B. Political Context: Public Nervousness About NonExecutions................................................................... 123 IV. The Future of the Death Penalty in Taiwan: 2017 and Beyond ............................................................................. 125 A. International Pressure to Stop Executions ..................... 126 B. Development in Domestic Human Rights NGOs .......... 128 C. Understated Strategy in Politics .................................... 131 V. Conclusion ......................................................................... 133