Taiwan’s Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether the archipelago should abolish the death penalty, a key test of its reputation as one of the most progressive societies in Asia.

The announcement Friday afternoon in Taipei follows a legal challenge by roughly three dozen petitioners on death row, who argue the penalty violates Taiwan’s constitution. Executions are carried out by shooting, though the law allows lethal injections.

Although not a member of the United Nations, the democratically ruled island voluntarily complies with international norms. In 2009, lawmakers ratified the U.N.’s two covenants on human rights, one of which calls for the abolition of the death penalty.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Taiwan as recently as 2018 to lobby against capital punishment. There have been only two executions since the ruling Democratic Progressive Party took power in 2016, and none since April 2020.

The Constitutional Court upheld capital punishment for serious drug cases in 1999 but in recent years its rulings have led to significant change in Taiwan. A decision in 2017 led to Taiwan becoming the first place in Asia to allow same-sex marriage.

A May poll by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation found nearly 85% of respondents favor keeping capital punishment. The opposition Kuomintang strongly supports the penalty, while the ruling DPP says the issue should be handled carefully, leading to calls for it to take a clearer stance.

“The government has never clearly stated its stance, but the DPP has been relatively in favor of abolishing capital punishment,” said Lin Hsinyi, executive director of the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty.

The DPP kept the presidency but lost its parliamentary majority in January’s elections, and has been facing increasing legislative challenges from the Kuomintang and its allies.

(Samson Ellis contributed to this report.)

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