Wang Ching-feng, a woman known for her active involvement in social and political activities has been named minister of justice. Wang has held a number of high government posts and is highly regarded for her ability and vision.

The justice minister-designate attracted more attention than most others included in Liu's lineup of Cabinet members by voicing her opinion on the death penalty. In an interview she had with the Chinese-language Apple Daily newspaper after she was designated as justice minister of the Ma administration, Wang said she personally disapproves of the death penalty.

"Life should not be taken away (from a human being)," she said. "I respect life. The removal of one life cannot restore a lost life."

Those remarks have triggered much discussion and criticism. One of her critics is Pai Ping-ping, a famed entertainer. Pai, who has been opposed to the abolition of the death penalty since her only child was kidnapped and murdered 11 years ago, urged the justice minister-designate to be prudent in what she says. The government is the last line of defense in the protection of the people's interests, Pai said. If the death penalty is abolished thoughtlessly, society will pass its judgment on it, the popular singer added.

In April 1997, Pai's 17-year-old daughter, Pai Hsiao-yen, was kidnapped on her way to school. Despite intensive efforts by the singer and police to find her, the girl was brutally murdered and her body dumped in a ditch. The savagery of the murder shocked Taiwan society.

The three suspects in the case managed to escape from custody and committed several more heinous criminal acts, including robberies, murders and rapes. One of the three kidnappers, Lin Chun-sheng, was shot and killed in a gun fight with the police. Later, Kao Tien-min killed himself when cornered by police trying to arrest him. The main suspect, Chen Chin-hsing, probably the single most notorious criminal in the history of Taiwan, broke into the residence of a South African diplomat in Taipei and held his family at gunpoint. He surrendered to the police in the end. Chen showed no remorse whatsoever after he was arrested, and was executed two years later.

It is not hard to imagine the traumatic effect these events had on the singer. The events also had a political impact, prompting the opposition to demand then-Premier Lien Chan of the ruling Kuomintang to step down to take responsibility for the high crime rate.

The crime situation has not improved since Pai Hsiao-yen's death.

However, there has been a continuous campaign to abolish capital punishment on this island, despite poll after poll showing public opinion in Taiwan is overwhelmingly against the abolition of the death penalty.

One reason given by those who advocate the abolition of the death penalty is that it is cruel and a violation of human rights. There is some validity to this claim, but the death penalty can be carried out in a relatively humane way by using methods of execution that cause little pain, such as lethal injection.

While human rights protection is an issue, the right of the public to personal safety should also be considered. There is little doubt that the death penalty is a deterrent to heinous crimes.

Another argument against the use of capital punishment is that innocent people may be executed by mistake. The fact is that, in Taiwan, the death penalty is ordered by the court only when there is clear evidence showing the suspect is guilty. The chances of imposing a death sentence by mistake are almost nil.

A strong reason for keeping the death penalty is the rising crime rate. It is true that the high crime rate is the result of a multitude of factors. However, responsible implementation of the law is a useful tool in deterring lawbreaking, and the death penalty certainly has a deterrent effect. Statistics gathered in the U.S. indicate that states which do not have the death penalty have a higher number of capital crimes.

Also, those who favor the abolition of the death penalty tend to think only of the rights of murderers and to ignore the feelings of those affected by the victims of the criminals. As long as a cold-blooded murderer remains living in prison, the family, relatives and friends of his or her victim will probably continue to live in agony and even fear.

There may be a case for eventually abolishing the death penalty, but doing away with its use now is impractical and would meet with strong public disapproval.