TAIPEI: A Taiwan court decided on Friday (Sep 20) to retain capital punishment, but ruled its application should be "limited to special and exceptional circumstances". Democratic Taiwan has carried out 35 executions since a moratorium on capital punishment was lifted in 2010,

Members of the Taiwan constitutional court hold a press conference after the ruling on the constitutionality of the death penalty in a case brought by 37 people currently on death row, in Taipei, Taiwan September 20,

The ruling reflects a compromise between international pressure for abolition and domestic support for harsh punishment to deter offenders.

Taiwan’s Constitutional Court is set to rule on whether the archipelago should abolish the death penalty, a key test of its reputation as one of the most progressive societies in Asia.