Legislators and scholars are questioning whether Taiwan’s penalty for espionage is harsh enough to deter the offense. DPP lawmakers invited experts to a hearing on Tuesday to discuss what should be done to elevate national security regarding espionage offenses, after recent convictions have led to only short sentences.
Defense think tank researcher Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) told reporters that the jail time for espionage charges in Taiwan is almost 13 times shorter than in other democratic countries. He adds that Taiwan needs to reassess its national security laws in the face of threats from China.
The average penalty for espionage in Taiwan is 18 months. That’s significantly shorter than penalties in countries like Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where the average espionage jail term is 19 years.
Su says Taiwan should strengthen its counterintelligence capability and raise the government employees’ awareness. He also says the courts need to consolidate legal interpretations and amend the current laws to avoid a wide range of punishments for the same crime. Su adds that bringing back court-martials and strengthening the power of the supreme command could also improve the situation.