Should Caning Be Put to a Public Vote? Lawyer Warns Elderly Could Die, Women May Become Infertile — Even Singapore Doesn't Punish This Way

The Kuomintang proposed a referendum on introducing 'corporal punishment by caning' into Taiwan's legal system. On the 14th, the Legislative Yuan voted, and the motion passed with 52 votes in favor from the KMT, 51 opposing from the DPP, and the Taiwan People's Party abstaining entirely. It may now be held alongside the 2026 nine-in-one local elections on November 28.

In response, lawyer Lu Chiu-yuan questioned whether age, physical condition, and gender should be considered when implementing caning. What if a 70-year-old dies mid-punishment? Would that be considered bad luck? Could they claim state compensation? What about sick individuals—should they be punished only after recovery, only to be driven back into illness? And regarding gender equality, while both men and women should theoretically be treated equally, female pelvic structures differ from males—what if caning leads to infertility?

"Whatever," Lu sarcastically remarked. "As long as blood flows, it satisfies Taiwan's bloodthirsty public sentiment, right?"

Lu criticized that such complex issues are ignored because referendums only offer Yes or No options. "Just punish anyone who breaks the law—beat them mercilessly. That's the idea, isn't it?"

He pointed out that in Singapore, caning is strictly limited: only adult male offenders under 50, medically cleared, can receive it—and only for serious crimes like rape, drug trafficking, and robbery. A court session can impose a maximum of 24 strokes.

Lu lamented that Taiwan is spending 1.1 billion TWD to revert to centuries-old Qing Dynasty-style punishments. "The Legislative Yuan is asking the public to decide whether to bring back flogging (cane punishment) from imperial China. How wonderful. 'Harsh laws in turbulent times,' indeed—they've truly hit the mark."

"Look at the Tang Code, the Great Ming Code, the Great Qing Legal Code," he added. "Taiwan's 21st-century Legislative Yuan has finally caught up. How joyous, how celebratory."

Other exclusive reports from Wind Media: - Who will be caned first if the referendum passes? Chang Jing-sen names '7 fraudsters' for initial application: their confessions will be made public - Hung Meng-kai's caning referendum pleases the Green camp? Chang Jing-sen calls it 'idiotic': Distrust the judiciary but hand weapons to the DPP - TPP debates caning: Hsu Chung-hsin cites Singapore in opposition: sexual assault cases are higher there, fraud is comparable