The "Ministry of Justice" (MOJ) will propose amendments to the Criminal Code within a year, to pave the way for a gradual abolition of the death penalty, Minister of Justice Tseng Yung-fu said Thursday.

"We are working on a raft of measures, including life imprisonment without parole and the establishment of special prisons to house such convicts, in preparation for the eventual elimination of capital punishment," Tseng said at a Legislative Yuan hearing on Taiwan's death penalty policy.

However, he added that while the MOJ's ultimate goal is to abolish the death penalty, it has not set a timetable for completion of the process since there is no public consensus yet on the contentious issue.

"Our fundamental position is to deal with relevant cases in accordance with the existing laws, but we will also gradually reduce the use of capital punishment by introducing substitute penalties," Tseng told lawmakers from the Legislative Yuan's Committee on Judicial and Legal Affairs.

Since the death penalty is still on Taiwan's law books, Tseng said, the MOJ will propose the addition of clauses to the Criminal Code that would allow for some criminals convicted of violent crimes to be given sentences of life imprisonment without parole.

Responding to some lawmakers' worries that such an option may exacerbate the problem of overcrowding in local prisons, Tseng said the MOJ will draft complementary measures to prevent that from happening.

"Our draft package will include a blueprint for establishing special correctional facilities for those who are sentenced to life imprisonment without parole," Tseng said.

China daily/CNA

(HK Edition 04/16/2010 page4)