Death penalty in severe cases not replaced by new interpretation, says top court judge

Officials who commit severe corruption crimes, such as taking a huge amount of bribes, may face a new sentence now — life imprisonment without parole. China Daily

Officials who commit severe corruption crimes, such as taking a huge amount of bribes, may face a new sentence now — life imprisonment without parole, according to an interpretation issued on Monday by the top judiciary authorities.

"The life sentence without parole is a new category of penalty for corruption, which means convicts given such punishment will spend the rest of their life in prison, no matter how well they behave while serving their sentences," said Pei Xianding, chief judge of the criminal tribunal under the Supreme People's Court.

In the past, a death sentence with a two-year reprieve could be commuted to a life sentence if the person convicted behaved well during the two years, and the sentence might be further cut if they continue to behave in prison, according to Pei.

But under the new interpretation, effective on Monday, convicts will not have a chance to leave prison if they are given the sentence, he said.

Life in prison without parole will be handed down in conjunction with a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, according to the interpretation by the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

"For some defendants, the death penalty is too heavy and a suspended death sentence too light, so we made the new sentence after research and discussion, in a move to ensure punishments will be in line with offenses," he said.

Pei stressed it does not mean there will be no death penalty in corruption cases.

"For those whose offenses meet the requirements of the death penalty, the courts will sentence them to death without hesitation," he added.