CHINA: CRIMINAL LAW DRAFT AMENDMENT UNCHANGED IN REDUCING NUMBER OF CRIMES SUBJECT TO DEATH PENALTY

December 20, 2010: A draft amendment to China's Criminal Law remained unchanged in reducing the number of crimes subject to the death penalty.
The draft amendment was submitted today to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, for its second reading.
In August this year, the NPC Standing Committee discussed the draft amendment during its first reading. The draft amendment will make 13 crimes exempt from capital punishment, if it becomes law.
The current law allows the death penalty for 68 crimes. The draft amendment, if passed, will reduce that number to 55. (Sources: Xinhuanet.com, 20/12/2010)