Part 1 General Provisions
Chapter 1 Application of the Code
Article 1
A conduct is punishable only when expressly so provided by the law at the time of its commission. This also applies to a rehabilitative measure which puts restrictions on personal freedom.
Article 2
When the law is amended after the commission of an offense, the law in force of its commission shall apply; provided that when the amended law is favorable to the offender, the most favorable law shall apply.
For punishment made as a rehabilitative measure that does not involve confiscation or restrictions on personal freedom, the law in force at the time of judgment shall apply.
When a judgment has been finalized with a punishment or a rehabilitative measure but not yet executed or before the end of execution, and the law is amended to a state with no punishment or rehabilitative measure for the offense, the punishment or the rehabilitative measure shall be remitted.
Article 3
This Code shall apply to an offense committed within the territory of the Republic of China. An offense committed on board a vessel or aircraft of the Republic of China outside the territory of the Republic of China shall be considered an offense committed within the territory of the Republic of China.
Article 4
Where either the conduct or the result of an offense takes place within the territory of the Republic of China, the offense shall be considered as committed within the territory of the Republic of China.
Article 5
This Code shall apply to any of the following offenses outside the territories of the Republic of China:
1. The offense of sedition specified in Article 100.
2. The offense of treason specified in Article 103.
3. The offense of obstructing governmental operation specified in Article 135, 136 or 138.
4. The offenses against public safety specified in Article 185-1 or 185-2.
5. The offenses of counterfeiting currency specified in Article 195 to 199.
6. The offenses of counterfeiting securities specified in Articles 201 to 202.
7. The offenses of forgery specified in Articles 211, 214, 218 or 216, in which only includes using forged official documents as specified in Articles 211, 213 and 214.
8. The drug offenses specified in Chapter 20, except for the offenses of drug abuse or possession of drugs, seeds or application tools or drug.
9. The offenses against personal freedom specified in Articles 296 and 296-1.
10. The offenses of piracy specified in Articles 333 and 334.
11. The offenses of aggravated fraud specified in Articles 339-4.
Article 6
This Code shall apply to any of the following offenses committed by a public official of the Republic of China outside the territory of the Republic of China:
1. The offenses of malfeasance specified in Articles 121 to 123, 125, 126, 129, 131, 132, or 134.
2. The offense of facilitating escape specified in Article 163.
3. The offenses of forgery specified in Article 213.
4. The offenses of embezzlement specified in Article 336,paragraph 1.
Article 7
This Code shall apply where any national of Republic of China commits an offense which is not specified in one of the two preceding articles but is punishable for not less than 3 years of imprisonment outside the territory of the Republic of China; unless the offense is not punishable by the law of the place where the offense is committed.
Article 8
The provisions of the preceding article shall apply mutatis mutandis to an alien who commits an offense outside the territory of the Republic of China against a national of the Republic of China.
Article 9
An offense is punishable under this Code despite that a finalized judgment has been rendered by a foreign tribunal;where the punishment has been entirely or partly executed in the foreign country, the execution of the punishment in the Republic of China may be entirely or partly remitted.
Article 10
The term “not less than,” “not more than,” or “within” includes the given figure.
The term “public official” means the following persons:
1. Those who empowered with legal function and power serve an organization of the state or a local autonomous body; and engaged in public affairs in accordance with law.
2. Those who, entrusted by an organ of the state or a local autonomous body, are engaged in the public affairs within the authority of the entrusting organization.
The term “official document” means a document made by a public official in the course of his duty.
The term “serious physical injury” means one of the following listed injuries:
1.Destruction of or seriously damage to the sight of one eye or both eyes.
2.Destruction of or serious damage to the hearing of one ear or both ears.
3.Destruction of or serious damage to the function of speech, taste, or smell.
4.Destruction of or serious damage to the function of one limb or more limbs.
5.Destruction of or serious damage to the function of reproduction.
6.Other serious injury to body or to health that is either impossible or difficult to cure (is either not or unlikely curable).
The term “sexual intercourse” means the following listed sexual acts that are not based on rightful purposes:
1.Insertion of a reproductive organ into the reproductive organ, anus or mouth of another person or an act of making them connected.
2.Insertion of a body part or an object other than a reproductive organ into the reproductive organ or anus of another person or an act of making them connected.
The term “electromagnetic recording” means records for computer processing made through the use of electronic, magnetic, optical or other similar means.
The term “abuse” means any act of abuse or maltreatment of another person in a violent, coercive or inhumane way.
The term “sexual image” means any image or electromagnetic record that has the contents prescribed in any of the following Subparagraphs:
1.Acts prescribed in Subparagraphs 1 or 2 of Paragraph 5.
2.Genitals or private parts of the body that are able to objectively arouse sexual desire or shame.
3.Acts that are able to objectively arouse sexual desire or shame by touching the part prescribed in the preceding paragraph with the body or utensils.
4.Other sex-related acts that are able to objectively arouse sexual desire or shame.
Article 11
The General Provisions of this Code shall also apply to other laws and to rehabilitative measures that provide criminal punishment and confiscation unless the punishment is otherwise prescribed in these laws and measures.
Chapter 2 Criminal Responsibility
Article 12
A conduct is not punishable unless committed intentionally or negligently.
A negligent conduct is punishable only if specifically so provided.
Article 13
A conduct is committed intentionally if the actor knowingly and intentionally causes the accomplishment of the elements of an offense.
A conduct is considered an intentional commission of an offense if the actor is aware that the act will accomplish the elements of the offense and if such accomplishment is not against his will.
Article 14
A conduct is committed negligently if the actor fails, although not intentionally, to exercise his duty of care that he should and could have exercised in the circumstances.
A conduct is considered to have been committed negligently if the actor is aware that his conduct would, but firmly believes it will not, accomplish the element of an offense.
Article 15
A person who has a legal obligation and is able to prevent the results of the occurrence of an offense but has failed to do so shall be equal to have caused the occurrence of the result by his positive act.
If a conduct of a person causes the danger of producing the result of an offense, the person has a legal obligation to prevent the occurrence of the result.
Article 16
Criminal responsibility shall not be excused simply because of ignorance of the law unless there are rightful reasons for being unable to avoid the offense, but the punishment may be reduced according to circumstances.
Article 17
Increased punishment prescribed for a certain specified aggravated result of an offense shall not apply if the actor cannot be aware of the aggravated result of the offense.
Article 18
An offense committed by a person who is under fourteen years of age is not punishable.
Punishment may be reduced for an offense committed by a person more than the age of fourteen but under the age of eighteen
Punishment may be reduced for an offense committed by a person who was over the age of eighty.
Article 19
An offense is not punishable if it is committed by a person who is mentally disorder or defects and, as a result, is unable or less able to judge his act or lack the ability to act according to his judgment.
The punishment may be reduced for an offense committed for the reasons mentioned in the preceding paragraph or as a result of obvious reduction in the ability of judgment.
Provisions prescribed in the two preceding paragraphs shall not apply to a person who intentionally brings the handicaps or defects.
Article 20
Punishment may be reduced for an conduct committed by a person who is deaf and dumb.
Article 21
A conduct performed in accordance with law or order is not punishable.
A conduct performed by a public official in line of his duties or on orders of his superior is not punishable unless the official knows that such orders are against the law.
Article 22
A proper conduct performed in the course of due business is not punishable.
Article 23
A conduct performed by a person in defense of his own rights or the rights of another against immediate unlawful aggression thereof is not punishable. If the force of defense is excessive, punishment may be reduced or remitted.
Article 24
A conduct performed by a person to avert imminent danger, otherwise unavoidable to the life, body, freedom, or property of himself or of another is not punishable. If the measure of averting danger is excessive, punishment may be reduced or remitted.
The provisions of the preceding paragraph relating to averting danger to him do not apply to a person acting under an obligation resulting from his official or business duties.
Chapter 3 Attempt
Article 25
An attempt is a conduct performed in the commission of an offense that is not accomplished.
An attempt is punishable only if specifically so provided and the punishment may be reduced from that for an accomplished offense.
Article 26
A conduct that is impossible to accomplish the intended offense and is not dangerous is not punishable.
Article 27
If a conduct is performed in the commission of an offense and the actor voluntarily renounces the act or prevents it from producing its result, the punishment shall be reduced or remitted. This provision shall also apply to a case when the result does not occur but not due to the act of prevention by the actor so long as the actor has done his utmost to prevent it.
The provisions of the preceding paragraph applies to one or multiple joint offenders who voluntarily prevent the occurrence of the result, or who have done their utmost to prevent it but the non-occurrence of the result is not due to the act of prevention.
Chapter 4 Principal Offenders and Joint Offenders
Article 28
Each of the two or more persons acting jointly in the commission of an offense is a principal offender.
Article 29
A person who solicits another to commit an offense is a solicitor.
A solicitor shall be punished according to the punishment prescribed for the solicited offense.
Article 30
A person who aids another in the commission of a crime is an accessory notwithstanding that the person aided does not know of the assistance.
The punishment prescribed for an accessory may be reduced from that prescribed for the principal offender.
Article 31
A person, who joins, solicits or aids another in an offense established on the basis of personal or other special relationship shall be considered a principal offender or solicitor or accessory but the punishment may be reduced.
If the punishment is to be increased, reduced, or remitted because of personal special relationship, an offender who has no such special relationship shall be given the normally prescribed punishment.
Chapter 5 Punishment
Article 32
Punishments are divided into principal and accessory punishments.
Article 33
Principal punishments are of the following kinds:
1. Death (penalty)
2. Life imprisonment
3. Imprisonment of more than two months and less than fifteen years. If punishment is reduced or increased, such period may be reduced to less than two months or increased to twenty years.
4. Short-term imprisonment of more than one day but less than 60 days. If the punishment is increased, the period may be increased to one hundred and twenty days.
5. Fine of more than one thousand NTD counted by the hundred yuan.
Article 35
The degree of severity of the kinds of principal punishment shall be prescribed according to the provisions of Article 33.
Among the punishments of the same kind, the maximum period or the highest amount shall be considered as the most severe. If the maximum periods or amounts are same, the second kind of punishment shall be considered, in which the minimum period or amount shall be the most severe.
If the principal punishment is used as the standard of severity, the provisions of the two previous paragraphs shall be followed. If the principal punishments are same, the standard of severity shall be determined by taking into consideration of the following items:
1. In case of the co-existence of selective and non-selective principal punishments, the non-selective principal punishment shall be considered to be severe.
2. In case of co-existence of punishment of imprisonment in addition thereto a fine and punishment of imprisonment without the addition thereto a fine, the former is considered to be severe.
3. In case that both principal punishments have selective choices or are non-selective, the secondary highest punishment shall be used for determination in accordance with the provisions of the two previous paragraphs
Article 36
Ancillary punishment refers to the deprivation of citizen’s rights.
Deprivation of citizen’s rights means deprivation of the following qualifications:
1. Qualifications for being a public official
2. Qualification for becoming a candidate for public office
Article 37
A sentence of death or life imprisonment shall include deprivation of citizen’s rights for life.
A sentence to imprisonment for not less than one year shall include deprivation of citizen’s rights for not less than one year but not more than ten years if the nature of offense makes it necessary to deprive the offender of his citizen’s rights.
Deprivation of citizen’s rights shall be pronounced at the time of judgment.
Deprivation of citizen’s rights shall become effective from the time of final judgment.
The period of deprivation of citizen’s right pursuant to paragraph 2 of this article shall be calculated from the day of the completion of the execution or the remission of the principal punishment. If a probation is pronounced at the same time, the period shall be calculated from the day of final judgment.
Article 37-1
The period of ancillary punishment starts from the date judgment is finalized.
Although the judgment is finalized, the number of days of detention not yet served shall not be included in the period of ancillary punishment.
Article 37-2
Each day an offender is detained prior to the judgment shall be counted as a day of serving imprisonment or short-term imprisonment, or a converted fine determined according to paragraph 6 of Article 42.
Where the days of detention cannot be deducted according to the preceding paragraph, each detained day may be counted as a day of restriction on personal freedom if he is sentenced to a rehabilitative measure.
Chapter 5-1 Confiscation
Article 38
Contraband shall be confiscated, whether it belongs to the offender or not.
A thing used in the commission of or preparation for the commission of an offense or a thing derived from or acquired through the commission of an offense may be confiscated only if it belongs to the offender. If there are special provisions, these special provisions shall be followed.
If a thing specified in the preceding paragraph is provided or obtained by natural persons, legal persons or an unincorporated body other than the offender without proper reasons, it may be confiscated. If there are special provisions, these special provisions shall be followed.
If the whole or a part of a thing specified in the preceding two paragraphs cannot or shall not be confiscated, the value thereof shall be collected from the offender.(hereinafter referred as “compulsory collection”)
Article 38-1
Proceeds of the crime that belong to the offender shall be confiscated. If there are special provisions, these special provisions shall be followed.
Proceeds of the crime obtained by natural persons, legal persons or an unincorporated body other than the offender under one of the following conditions shall be confiscated:
1. Knowingly obtain the illegal proceeds from the offender.
2. Obtain the illegal proceeds from the offender for free or at a cost that is considerably not reciprocal.
3. The party is benefited from illegal act committed by the offender for the said party.
If the entire or partial confiscation mentioned in the preceding two subparagraphs as above was failed or not appropriate, the value thereof shall be collected from the offender.
The proceeds of crime specified in paragraph 1 and 2 means any property derived from or obtaineddirectly or indirectly, through the commission of an offence..
The proceeds of crime having been legally returned to the victim shall not be confiscated or collected.
Article 38-2
The scope and value of the proceeds of crime specified in the Article 38-1 may be based on an estimation if the valuation is deemed difficult. This also applies to the compulsory collection specified in Article 38.
If the confiscation or compulsory collection specified in the preceding two paragraphs is too harsh, lacks significance to the purport of the criminal code, or whereas the proceeds of crime is little, or is necessary for maintaining the living conditions of the offender, it may not be pronounced or may be reduced.
Article 38-3
The ownership or other rights of the thing specified in Article 38 and the proceeds of crime specified in Article 38-1 shall be transferred to the government when the judgment on confiscation is finalized.
The third party’s ownership of the thing or the proceeds or a claim of an obligation acquired by a crime specified in the preceding paragraph shall remain unchanged.
Before the judgment on confiscation specified in the first paragraph is finalized, the transfer of the thing or the proceeds shall be prevented.
Article 40
Confiscation shall be pronounced at the time of the judgment unless there are special provisions.
Confiscation of contraband or a thing which may be confiscated independently may be pronounced separately.
If the offender is not prosecuted or convicted due to facts or legal reasons, the thing specified in paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 38 and the proceeds of crime specified in items 1 and 2 of Article 38-1 which may be confiscated independently may be pronounced separately.
Article 40-2
When multiple confiscations have been pronounced, all of such confiscation judgments shall be executed.
Confiscation exceeding the statute of limitations specified in Article 80 shall not be executed, except for contraband or unless otherwise specified.
This also applies to subjects of confiscation outside the territory of the Republic of China and 5 years after the statute of limitations specified in the preceding paragraph has expired.
If confiscation has not been executed or punctually executed over 10 years upon the date judgment is finalized, it shall not be executed.
Chapter 5-2 Replacement of penalty
Article 41
In an offense that carries a maximum principal punishment of not more than five years’ imprisonment, if the offender is sentenced to imprisonment for not more than six months or short-term imprisonment, the punishment may be commuted to a fine at a daily rate of NTD one thousand, two thousand or three thousand. This provision does not apply to the cases in which the commutation of the pronounced punishment as imposed is manifestly of little corrective effect, or the legal order cannot be maintained.
If the afore-mentioned commuted fine is not applied, the punishment may be commuted to community service at a rate of a daily rate of six hours.
If an offender is pronounced to be imprisoned for less than six months and paragraph 1 is not applicable, the offender may be sentenced to community service according to the proceeding paragraph.
The previous two paragraphs do not apply to case in which execution is of the punishment is manifestly difficult because of health ,or execution of the punishment as imposed is manifestly difficult, little corrective effect can be expected, or the legal order cannot be maintained.
The periods of community service specified in paragraph 2 and 3 shall not exceed a year.
If community service is not executed without reason or is not completely execute within the period, in case to which paragraph applied the pronounced imprisonment or commuted fine shall be executed, in case to which paragraph 3 applied, the pronounced imprisonment shall be executed.
Paid fine or executed hours of community service shall be concerted to days at the rate fixed in the judgment and a fractional part of a day shall be concerted to a day.
In combining punishment for several offenses which is commuted to fines or community service and the punishment to be executed exceeds six months, the preceding paragraph 1 to 4 and 7 shall apply.
In combing punishment for several offenses which is commuted to community service, the periods of execution shall not exceed three years. In case in which the punishment to be executed less than six months the periods of community service shall not exceed one year.
In case in which combined punishment for several offenses is commuted to community service and under the circumstances prescribed in paragraph 6, the punishment to be executed can be commuted to fines when several offenses has been pronounced to be commuted to fines.
Article 42
A fine must be paid in full within two months after judgment has been finalized. If full payment is not made within the two-month period, a compulsory execution shall be ordered. If the offender cannot afford the payment, the fine shall be commuted to labor service. If his economic or credit condition does not allow him to pay within the prescribed two months, he may be allowed to pay by installments within a year after the expiration of the prescribed period. When one installment is delayed or not paid in full, the convicted may be forced to pay the rest amount of the fine. In this case, the fine may be commuted to labor service.
If the afore-mentioned compulsory execution is taken in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph and it is found that the convicted has no property for execution, the fine may directly be commuted to labor service.
The commutation of a fine to labor service shall be calculated at the rate of NTD one thousand, two thousand or three thousand a day but the period of labor service shall not exceed a year.
If the conversion rates for commuting a fine to labor service calculated according to subparagraph 7 of Article 51 are different, the rate for the longest period of labor service shall apply.
If the total amount of a fine calculated by the day exceeds the number of days of a year, the ratio of the total amount to the days of a year shall be used in the calculation and the time limit provided for in the preceding paragraph shall also apply.
The judgment on the fine shall include the conversion rate pursuant to the provisions of the three previous paragraphs.
A fractional part of a day resulting from the commutation of a fine to labor service shall not be considered.
If a payment is made during the period of labor service commuted from a fine, the amount paid shall be converted to days at the rate fixed in the judgment and these days shall be deducted from the period of labor service accordingly.
Article 42-1
Commuting fine to labor may be commuted to social work at the rate of six -hours social work for a day, except one of the following circumstances:
1. The period of commuting fines to labor is more than one year.
2. The punishment to be executed is an imprisonment for more than six months with fines.
3. The execution of social work is manifestly difficult because of health reasons.
The periods of social work specified in the preceding paragraph should not exceed two years.
If social work is not executed without reasons or is not completely executed within the period, commuted labor shall be executed.
The executed hours of social work shall be concerted to days of commuted labor and a fractional part of a day shall be concerted to a day.
Paying fine during the periods of social work shall be concerted to days at the rate fixed in the judgment and shall be deducted from the social work accordingly.
Paying fine during the periods specified in paragraph 3 shall be concerted to days at the rate fixed in the judgment and shall be deducted from the commuted labor and social work.
Article 43
A sentence to short-term imprisonment or a fine may be commuted to a reprimand when the motive for committing the offense is clearly excusable from the standpoint of public welfare or justice.
Article 44
When the execution of a punishment commuted to a fine, community service, labor service, or reprimand is completed, the punishment pronounced in the sentence is deemed to have been executed.
Chapter 6 Recidivism
Article 47
A person, who intentionally commits an offense with a minimum punishment of imprisonment within five years after having served a sentence of imprisonment or having been pardoned after serving part of the sentence, is a recidivist. The principal punishment for a recidivist shall be increased up to one half.
A person, who has fully served a forced labor or been remitted after serving part of the labor pursuant to paragraph 2 of Article 98 regarding imprisonment remission for the labor, shall be deemed as a recidivist if he, within five years after having served the labor , intentionally commits an offense with a minimum punishment of imprisonment.
Article 48
After the judgment has been finalized and an offender is found to be a recidivist, his punishment shall be increased in accordance with the provisions of the preceding article unless the fact is revealed after his sentence is fully served or his punishment is pardoned.
Article 49
Provisions relating to recidivism shall not apply if the prior offense is decided by a foreign tribunal.
Chapter 7 Combined Punishment for Several Offenses
Article 50
Punishments for several offenses committed before judgment is finalized shall be combined. This provision does not apply to one of the following circumstances:
1.the punishment which may be commuted to a fine and the punishment which may not be commuted to a fine.
2. the punishment which may be commuted to a fine and the punishment which may not community service
3. the punishment which may community service and the punishment which may not be commuted to a fine.
4. the punishment which may community service and the punishment which may not community service
In the preceding section exists, if the sentenced request the prosecutor to apply to ascertain the sentence execution pursuant, pursuant to Article 51.
Article 51
In combining punishments for multiple offenses, the punishment for each offense shall be pronounced separately and executed in accordance with the following provisions:
1. When multiple death sentences have been pronounced, only one death sentence shall be executed.
2. When the most severe sentence pronounced is the death sentence, no other punishment except fines and ancillary punishments shall be executed.
3. When multiple sentences of life imprisonment have been pronounced, only one life imprisonment sentence shall be executed.
4. When the most severe sentence pronounced is life imprisonment, no other punishment except fines and ancillary punishments shall be executed.
5. When multiple sentences of imprisonment have been pronounced, the period of punishment shall be fixed at not less than the longest period of these punishments and not more than the sum of the periods of these punishments, but shall not exceed thirty years.
6. When multiple sentences of short-term imprisonment have been pronounced, the period of punishment to be executed shall be fixed in accordance with the preceding subparagraph but shall not exceed one hundred and twenty days.
7. When multiple fines have been pronounced, the amount of the fine to be paid shall be fixed at not less than the largest of these fines and not more than the sum of these fines.
8. When multiple deprivations of citizen’s rights for a definite period have been pronounced, only the longest one shall be executed.
9. All the punishments fixed in accordance with subparagraphs 5 through 8 shall be executed together; provided the punishments to be executed are imprisonment for not less than three years and a short-term imprisonment, the short-term imprisonment shall not be executed.
Article 52
After the judgment of combined punishments for several offenses has been finalized, a separate decision shall be made for an offense committed before but discovered after the judgment
Article 53
When there exists two or more judgments, the punishments shall be fixed in accordance with the provisions of Article 51 on combining punishments for several offenses.
Article 54
After a judgment of combined punishments has been finalized, if any of these offenses is pardoned, the punishment for the remaining offenses shall be fixed in accordance with the provision of Article 51. When only one offense remains not pardoned, the punishment shall be executed as pronounced.
Article 55
Where an act constitutes several offenses, only the most severe punishment shall be imposed. The punishment so imposed shall be not less than the minimum principal punishment for the least severe offense.
Chapter 8 Sentencing
Article 57
Sentencing shall base on the liability of the offender and take into account all the circumstances, and special attention shall be given to the following items:
1. The motive and purpose of the offense.
2. The stimulation perceived at the moment of committing the offense.
3. The means used for the commission of the offense.
4. The offender’s living condition.
5. The disposition of the offender.
6. The education and intelligence of the offender.
7. Relationship between the offender and the victim.
8. The seriousness of the offender’s obligation violation.
9. The danger or damage caused by the offense.
10. The offender’s attitude after committing the offense.
Article 58
When imposing a fine, the financial ability of the offender and the proceeds of the crime shall be considered in addition to the provisions of the preceding article. Where the proceeds exceed the maximum fine, the fine may be increased at discretion within the limit of the proceeds.
Article 59
A punishment may be reduced at discretion if the circumstances of the commission of the offense are so pitiable that even the minimum punishment is considered too severe.
Article 60
Mitigation of punishment may be made at discretion in accordance with the provisions of the preceding article notwithstanding that an increase or decrease of punishment has been made by law.
Article 61
When one of the following offenses is slight or committed under pitiable circumstances, the punishment may be remitted if the punishment mitigated in accordance with the provisions of Article 59 is still considered to be too severe:
1.the offenses for which the maximum principal punishment is an imprisonment of not more than three years, or a short-term imprisonment, or a fine; except for those offenses specified in paragraph 1 of Article 132, Article 143, Article 145 and Article 186, and the offense (if against a lineal blood ascendant) specified in paragraph 3 of Article 271.
2. the offenses of larceny as specified in Article 320 or 321.
3. the offenses of embezzlement as specified in Article 335 or paragraph 2 of Article 336.
4. the offenses of fraud as specified in Article 339 or 341.
5. the offenses of breach of trust as specified in Article 342.
6. the offenses of extortion as specified in Article 346.
7. the offenses of receiving stolen property as specified in paragraph 2 of Article 349.
Article 62
If a person voluntarily turns himself in for an offense not yet discovered, the punishment may be reduced provided that there are special provisions. In such a case, these special provisions shall apply.
Article 63
A death penalty or life imprisonment shall not be imposed on an offender who is under the age of eighteen or over the age of eighty. If the punishment prescribed for the offense is death or imprisonment for like, the punishment shall be reduced.
Article 64
A death penalty shall not be increased.
If a death penalty is reduced, the punishment shall be life imprisonment.
Article 65
A punishment of life imprisonment shall not be increased.
If a punishment of life imprisonment is reduced, the punishment shall be imprisonment for a period of not more than twenty years but not less than fifteen years.
Article 66
If a punishment of imprisonment, short-term imprisonment, or a fine is reduced, the punishment shall be reduced by an amount up to one half. If there is also a provision for remission of the punishment, the punishment may be reduced by an amount up to two-thirds.
Article 67
Increase or reduction of a punishment of imprisonment or a fine shall apply to both the prescribed maximum and minimum.
Article 68
Increase or reduction of a punishment of short-term imprisonment shall apply only to the prescribed maximum.
Article 69
Increase or reduction of two or more principal punishments shall apply to each of the punishment.
Article 70
Increase or reduction of two or more punishments shall be done progressively.
Article 71
If a punishment is to be both increased and reduced, the increase shall precede the reduction.
If there are two or more reductions, reduction in the lesser degree shall precede reduction in the greater degree.
Article 72
A fractional part of a day or one New Taiwan dollar resulting from an increase or a reduction in punishment shall not be considered.
Article 73
The provisions concerning the reduction of punishments shall apply mutatis mutandis to discretionary reduction of punishments.
Chapter 9 Probation
Article 74
A punishment of imprisonment for not more than two years, short-term imprisonment, or a fine may be suspended for not less than two years but not more than five years of probation from the day the judgment becomes final if either of the following circumstances exists and probation is considered appropriate:
1. There has been no previous sentence to imprisonment or a more severe punishment pronounced for an intentional offense.
2. There has been no sentence to imprisonment or a more severe punishment for an intentional offense pronounced within five years after completing execution or remission of a previous sentence to imprisonment or a more severe punishment for an intentional offense.
The judge who pronounces the probation may consider the circumstances to order the offender to do the following things:
1. Making an apology to the victim;
2. Writing a statement of repentance;
3. Paying an appropriate amount of compensation to the victim for his property or non-property losses;
4. Disbursing a certain amount to Public Treasury;
5. Doing community service of no less than forty hours and not more than two hundred and forty hours for a designated government department, government institution, legal entity, public welfare organization or group;
6. Carrying out addiction treatment, mental treatment, psychological counseling or other appropriate treatment programs;
7. Granting protective order to the victim;
8. Granting injunction order to prevent repetition of crime.
The situation set forth in the preceding paragraph shall be specified in the written judgment.
Items 3 and 4 of paragraph 2 may be carried out as a compulsory execution.
There is no probation for pronouncement of ancillary punishment, rehabilitative measure, and confiscation.
Article 75
Probation shall be revoked in either of the following circumstances:
1. During the period of probation, the offender has intentionally committed another crime for which he has received a definitive sentence to imprisonment more than six months.
2. Before the probation, the offender has intentionally committed to another crime and has received a definitive sentence to imprisonment more than six months.
A motion for revoking the ruling of the preceding paragraph shall be filed within six months after the judgment has become finalized.
Article 75-1
After probation is pronounced, it may be revoked if there is a need to execute the punishment, when any of the following circumstances appears to prove that the pronouncement cannot have the expected effect:
1. Before the probation, the offender has intentionally committed another crime, of which he has received a definitive sentence to imprisonment not more than six months, short-term imprisonment or a fine has become final during the probation period.
2. During the period probation, the offender has intentionally committed another crime, of which he has received a definitive sentence to imprisonment not more than six months, short-term imprisonment or a fine has become final during the probation period.
3. During the period of probation, the offender has committed more crime because of negligence and the pronouncement of punishment in the form of imprisonment has become final.
4. The offender has violated the obligations provided for in items 1 through 8 of paragraph 2 of Article 74 and the circumstances are considered serious.
The provisions of paragraph 2 of the previous article shall also apply to the circumstances of item 1 through item 3.
Article 76
If probation has not been revoked, the sentence shall forfeit its validity after the expiration of the period of probation, but this provision shall not apply to revocation of probation made under paragraph 2 of Article 75 and paragraph 2 of Article 75-1.
Chapter 10 Parole
Article 77
If there is evidence of repentance during the execution of imprisonment, a parole may be granted upon application by the prison authority to the Ministry of Justice after twenty-five years of a sentence to life imprisonment or after one half of a sentence to imprisonment or after two-thirds of the imprisonment of for an recidivist has been served.
The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to the following circumstances:
1. The execution of a sentence to imprisonment has not been reached six months.
2. The recidivist of an offense that carries a principal punishment of minimal five-year imprisonment intentionally commits in five years after completing the execution of the punishment or after being pardoned after the execution of part of the punishment an offense that carries a minimum principal punishment of not less than five years.
3. The offender of the crime listed in Article 91-1 who, after being counseled or treated during the execution of the punishment, is founded through appraisal or evaluation as having not remarkably reduced the danger of repeating the offense.
The number of days of detention exceeds one year before the sentence to life imprisonment becomes definitive shall be taken into account in item 1.
Article 78
During the period of parole, if the offender has intentionally committed another crime for which he is sentenced to an imprisonment of more than six months by a final judgment, his parole shall be revoked.
During the period of parole, if the offender has intentionally committed another crime for which he is sentenced to probation or an imprisonment of less than six months by final judgment, and if it is necessary to execute the punishment of the imprisonment again, his parole may be revoked.
The revocation under the proceeding two paragraphs shall be rendered within six months after the judgment becomes final. However, this shall not apply if the period of parole has expired for three years.
The number of days spent out of prison after the revocation of a parole shall not be calculated as part of the period of the punishment of imprisonment.
Article 79
If a parole has not been revoked after twenty years of parole for the offenders of life imprisonment or during the remaining portion of sentence for the offenders of imprisonment, the unexecuted portion of the sentence shall be considered to have been executed; however, this shall not apply to a parole revoked in accordance to Paragraph 3 of Article 78.
The period served in execution of a punishment, detention, or other restriction on freedom for another crime during the period of parole shall not be included in the calculation of the period of parole. However, this shall not apply to the period of detention or other restriction on freedom made according to law before the final judgment of non-prosecution or acquittal is announced.
Article 79-1
In case of the execution of two or more imprisonment punishments, the minimum periods of execution provided for in Article 77 shall be combined in calculation.
If the combined execution is life imprisonment, provisions for the parole of life imprisonment shall apply. A parole may also be granted if the combined imprisonment exceeds forty years and the execution has been continually served more than twenty years. However, this shall not apply to a case prescribed in item 2 of paragraph 2 of Article 77.
A parole made in accordance with paragraph 1 of calculation of combined execution of punishment shall include the period provided for in paragraph 1 of the preceding article.
If the combined period exceeds twenty years, the provisions of paragraph 1 of the preceding article for parole of the punishment of life-imprisonment shall apply to it mutatis mutandis.
In the execution of the remaining portion of a prison sentence after the revocation of parole, execution of punishment for another offense shall start after the life imprisonment has been executed for twenty-five years and a imprisonment has been executed in full, and to this case the provisions for combined calculation of the period of execution provided for in paragraph 1 shall not apply.
Chapter 11 Statute of Limitations
Article 80
Prosecution is barred by limitation if not exercised within the following periods:
1. Thirty years for an offense that carries the maximum principal punishment of death or imprisonment for life or for not less than ten years, except for such offense that results in death.
2. Twenty years for an offense that carries the maximum principal punishment of imprisonment for not less than three years and the maximum punishment for less than ten years.
3. Ten years for an offense that carries the maximum principal punishment of imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than three years.
4. Five years for an offense that carries the maximum principal punishment of imprisonment for less than a year, short-term imprisonment, or a fine.
These periods specified in the preceding paragraph shall commence from the day on which the offense is committed; provided that the offense is of a continuing nature, when the period shall commence from the last day on which the offense is completed.
Article 82
The period of limitation of prosecution shall be determined by the principal punishment notwithstanding that such punishment shall be increased or reduced by law.
Article 83
The period of limitation of prosecution shall be terminated with the initiation of prosecution. This shall also apply to the suspension of investigation by law or to a case that the offender has escaped and has been put on the wanted list.
During the termination of limitation, the cause for termination is considered to have ended if any of the following conditions appears:
1. After the court decision is determined on turning down the prosecution or on terminating private prosecution on procedural grounds.
2. When the trial proceedings cannot commence or continue according to law or because the offender was wanted and the interruption has reached one-third of the period prescribed in the various items of paragraph 1 of Article 80
3. According to the second half of paragraph 1 to terminate the investigation or want the offender, the period of termination or wanting has been reached one-third of the period prescribed in the various items of paragraph 1 of Article 80.
The period of the preceding paragraphs shall be counted from the day of the end of the cause for interruption together with the day prior to the interruption.
Article 84
Execution is barred by the statute of limitations if it is not carried out within the following statutory periods:
1. Forty years for an offense for which the pronounced sentence is death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for not more than ten years;
2. Thirty years for an offense for which the pronounced sentence is imprisonment for not less than three years but not more than ten years;
3. Fifteen years for an offense for which the pronounced sentence is imprisonment for not less than one year but not more than three years;
4. Seven years for an offense for which the pronounced sentence is imprisonment for less than one year, short-term imprisonment, or a fine.
The statutory periods provided for in the preceding paragraph shall commence from the day judgment becomes final but if rehabilitative measures precede the execution of criminal punishment, the statutory period shall commence from the completion date of implementing rehabilitative measures.
Article 85
The period of limitation of execution shall be interrupted by the execution of punishment. The same shall apply when the period is interrupted and the execution cannot be continued due to the following conditions:
1. The execution is interrupted according to law.
2. The criminal has escaped and been put on the wanted list or has escaped during the period of execution and as a result the execution cannot be continually carried on.
3. The criminal is subjected to restriction of freedom on another legal reason.
When the cause for interruption continues to exist and the period of this interruption has reached one-third of the period prescribed in paragraph 1 of Article 84, the cause of interruption shall be considered to have vanished.
The period of limitation of the first paragraph shall commence from the day when the cause of interruption vanishes and shall be counted together with the pre-interruption period.
Chapter 12 Rehabilitative Measures
Article 86
Any person who is not punished because he is under the age of fourteen may be ordered to enter a reformatory to receive reformatory education.
If punishment is reduced because a person is under the age of eighteen, he may, after execution or remission of punishment, be ordered to enter a reformatory to receive reformatory education. But, if the sentence is imprisonment of less than three years, short-term imprisonment, or a fine, he may be so ordered before the execution of the punishment.
The period of reformatory education shall not exceed three years. But if the execution has exceeded six month and it is believed that continuing execution is unnecessary, the court may remit the punishment.
Article 87
A person who is not punished for a cause prescribed in Paragraph 1 of Article 19 may be committed to a suitable establishment or appropriate means for custodial protection if the circumstances are sufficient to make it believe that he might repeat the offense or against public safety.
If a person has the circumstances prescribed in paragraph 2 of Article 19 and Article 20 and the circumstances are likely to make it believe that he might repeat the offense or against public safety, he may be committed to a suitable establishment or appropriate means for custodial protection after the execution or remission of the punishment. This custodial protection may be done before the execution of punishment if necessary.
The period of custodial protection prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs shall be less than five years. Before expiration of execution period, the prosecutor may apply to the court for extension thereof if he considers such extension is necessary. The period of first extension shall be less than three years, and periods of the second extension and subsequent extension shall be less than one year, respectively. However, the court may order remission of the punishment during the execution if it believes the execution needs not to be continued.
During the period of execution or extension, whether or not the execution needs to be continued shall be evaluated each year.
Article 88
Any person addicted to drugs may be committed to a suitable establishment for compulsory treatment before the execution of punishment.
The period for the compulsory cure prescribed in the preceding paragraph is less than one year. The court may remit the execution if it believes the execution need not be continued.
Article 89
If a person commits an offense while intoxicated he may, before execution of punishment, be committed to a suitable establishment for compulsory cure if there is reason sufficient to believe that he is addicted to alcohol and he is in the danger of commit the offense again.
The period for the compulsory cure prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be less than one year, but the court may remit the execution if it believes there is no need to continue the execution.
Article 90
Any person who is a habitual criminal or commits an offense because of habits of loitering or vagrancy, before execution of punishment, shall be committed to a labor establishment to perform compulsory labor.
The period for compulsory labor prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be three years. But the court may remit the execution if, after the execution for one and half year, it believes there is no need to continue the execution.
The court may allow an extension of compulsory labor before the period of execution expires if necessary, but the extension shall be limited to once and the period of extension shall not exceed one and a half years.
Article 91-1
Any person committing an offense specified in Articles 221 to 227, 228, 229 , 230, 234, item 2 of paragraph 2 of Article 332, item 2 of Article 334, and item 1of paragraph 2 of Article 348 and its special laws and has one of the following conditions may be ordered to a suitable establishment for compulsory treatment:
1.To be found through appraisal and evaluation during the period of receiving counseling or cure and before the expiration of the execution as having the danger of committing the offense again.
2.To be found through appraisal and evaluation while receiving physical and mental cure or counseling education under the provisions of other separate law as having the danger of committing the offense again.
The period of execution prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be five years utmost; and before the expiration of the execution period, the prosecutor, if deeming it necessary to extend, may apply to the court for permission to extend such period. The first extension period shall be three years utmost, and the second and subsequent extension periods shall be one year utmost, respectively. However, if it is deemed unnecessary to continue the execution period, the court may suspend the execution of the treatment.
If one of the circumstances prescribed in paragraph 1 occurs after the execution of the treatment is suspended, the court may issue the order of attending any suitable premise to continue the compulsory treatment.
The period of compulsory treatment prescribed in the preceding paragraph shall be calculated altogether with the period already executed before the suspension of treatment.
During the execution or extension period prescribed in the three paragraphs above, it shall be assessed and evaluated annually to determine whether it is necessary to continue the treatment.
Article 92
The measures prescribed in Articles 86 through 90 may, according to circumstances of the case, be replaced by protective measure.
The period for protective measure specified in the preceding paragraph shall not exceed three years. If in effective, it may be revoked at any time the original measure enforced.
Article 93
Any person who is on probation may be placed under protective measures during the period of suspension but under one of the following circumstances he shall be subjected to probation:
1. Commission of the offense prescribed in Article 91-1
2. Execution of the provisions of items 5 to 8, paragraph 2, Article 74
When released from a prison on parole, he shall be subjected to protective measures.
Article 95
Any alien receiving sentence more than imprisonment may, after execution or remission of punishment, be deported.
Article 96
Rehabilitative measures shall be pronounced at the time of the judgment, but this shall not apply if it is otherwise prescribed in this Code or other laws.
Article 98
If rehabilitative measures announced under paragraph 2 of Article 86 and paragraph 2 and paragraph 3 of Article 87 call for execution of imprisonment first, the court may remit the execution if it believes that this is unnecessary after the punishment is executed or remitted. In a case which calls for execution of rehabilitative measures first, the court, after having executed the measures or remitted part of the measures, may remit the whole or part of the periods of imprisonment if it believes that the execution is unnecessary.
If the rehabilitative measures are announced in pursuance to paragraph 1 of Article 88 or paragraph 1 of Article 89, the court, after having executed the measures or remitted part of the measures, may remit the whole or part of the periods of imprisonment if it believes that the execution is unnecessary.
If temporary placement is announced in pursuance to paragraph 1 or the first part of paragraph 3 of Article 121-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the court, after having executed the temporary placement, may remit the whole or part of the periods of imprisonment if it believes that the execution is unnecessary.
The remission of execution prescribed in the preceding three paragraphs shall be limited to imprisonment or short-term imprisonment.
Article 99
If the execution of the rehabilitative measures have not begun or if the execution has not been continued for three years from the day that they shall have been executed, the execution shall not be permitted unless the court believes that the cause for the announced rehabilitative measures has continued to exist. The execution shall not be performed if it has not been begun or continued for seven years.