TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Human Rights groups say they are opposed to a draft amendment issued by the Ministry of Justice that would remove any possibility of parole for criminals convicted of certain violent crimes.

The ministry’s proposal, if passed, would ensure those sentenced to 10 or more years for crimes of murder, attempted murder, or child abuse resulting in death, would be ineligible for parole. The petition, brought by the Judicial Reform Foundation, says this amounts to inhumane treatment, and undermines efforts to rehabilitate criminals.

The Ministry of Justice announced the draft amendments to the Prison Act in late October. The legislation is in response to public outcry over the death of a 1-year-old child who died due to abuse from caretakers in 2024.

Major protests in March and May called on the government to increase child protections and institute harsher sentences for those who commit crimes against children. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said the measures will deter violent crime and uphold social justice in cases of intentional homicide and serious child abuse. 

Opponents of the legislation argue the measures violate human dignity, undermine efforts to rehabilitate offenders, and add to problems of mass incarceration, reports Jurist News. The petition claims the amendments will “violate important principles of international human rights law,” citing the European Convention on Human Rights.