China’s death penalty is popular and releasing data will fuel calls for more executions, judge says
- ‘A life for a life’ is ingrained among ordinary folk, says judge
- Social credit blacklists also praised by judge as incentive for people to carry out court-mandated tasks such as paying debts
Top judges from China’s Supreme People’s Court have made a rare defence of the death penalty, with one saying “a life for a life” is ingrained among the people, and backed “social credit” blacklists as necessary to make people repay their debts.
President Xi Jinping has urged widespread reforms to the legal system, pledging to tackle miscarriages of justice and to strengthen the leadership of the ruling Communist Party over the courts.
But rights groups say the reforms fail to ensure fair trials, guard against rights abuses or restrict use of the death penalty. Amnesty International said on Tuesday that China is failing to restrict the use of the death penalty to the most serious crimes only, in line with international norms.
Beijing considers the number of people executed in China each year to be a state secret. International human rights organisations estimate the figure at around 2,000.
Li Xiao, a top judge, told reporters late on Thursday that despite efforts to reduce executions, China could not abolish the system and risk angering a public that she said overwhelmingly supports its use.
“For thousands of years, the idea of ‘a life for a life’ has been deeply ingrained among ordinary folk,” she said during a promotional visit to the Supreme Court. “If we released the figure, then ordinary folk would say too few were killed.”