TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The nominee for vice president of the Judicial Yuan (司法院), affirmed his support for the death penalty during a Legislative Yuan (立法院) inquiry on Tuesday (Dec. 10). The nominee for Vice President of the Judicial Yuan, Yao Li-ming (姚立明), advocated for stricter conditions for death penalty verdicts, emphasizing the need to minimize state errors.
Kuomintang (國民黨) Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) pressed Yao on whether he would overturn the constitution in future death penalty-related constitutional cases. Yao responded that he would base his decisions on professionalism and conscience but refrained from expressing a stance before any specific case arose.
He noted the constitution's political law concept, highlighting its relevance to practical politics and the necessity of understanding political operations. Yang questioned Yao's political background, specifically his role in President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) campaign office. Yao clarified that his primary responsibilities involved political assessments and election polling analysis.
He stated that if he were an advisor to President Lai, he would recommend nominating a professional constitutional scholar for the vice presidency of the Judicial Yuan. However, Yao asserted his suitability for the role and mentioned that he ceased political interactions with President Lai after his nomination in August.