China may review death penalty law

China may reduce the number of crimes attracting the death penalty, but will revised legislation make a significant difference to sky-high execution rates?

The precise number of executions carried out each year in China is a state secret, but is estimated to number in the thousands. Crimes currently deemed serious enough to merit a sentence of death by shooting or lethal injection include stealing historical relics, tax fraud, and receiving bribes. In total, there are 68 capital offences.

However, reports in the Chinese and Western media over the past few days have suggested that the state may soon adjust its policy of capital punishment. The state-run English language newspaper China Daily stated over the weekend that a draft revision of the country's criminal law, which would limit the use of the death penalty, will be submitted to the standing committee of the National People’s Congress, China's ‘rubber-stamp parliament’ towards the end of August. It seems that the number of capital offences may be cut, and that executions of convicts aged 70 and over may end.

Reprieve cautiously welcomes any legislation that could reduce the rate of state executions, but hopes that the move is indicative of a general shift in policy that might eventually lead to the eradication of the death penalty in China altogether. The proposed changes are still rather shrouded in secrecy, but unfortunately are unlikely to be particularly far-reaching; for example, executions for white collar crimes will almost certainly continue. Although there appears to have been a step in the right direction, whether or not it will remove from China the dubious honour of being the world’s most prolific executor remains to be seen.