China Death Penalty: Key Developments 1979: First Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law passed - 28 offences are eligible for the death penalty - SPC has authority to review all death penalty cases 1981: SPC authority to review and approve death penalty cases can now be delegated to provincial higher courts. 13 new offences are eligible for the death penalty 1982: 7 new offences eligible for the death penalty including drug trafficking 1983: 10 new offences eligible for the death penalty relating to public security 1990: Decree on Drug Control adopted by NPC - All narcotics offences now eligible for death penalty 1996: First amendment to the Criminal Procedure Law - All capital defendants must have legal representation - Lethal injection becomes one of the methods of official execution 1997: First amendment of Criminal Law - In total, 68 offences are eligible for the death penalty 2002: Notice on Utilising Lethal Injection in Executions issued by SPC 2006: SPC introduces ‘balancing leniency and severity’ policy 2007: SPC resumes its authority to review all cases of death penalty with immediate execution 2010: ‘Two rules of evidence’ introduced 2011: Eighth amendment to the Criminal Law - Number of capital crimes reduced by 13 to 55 - Increased tariff for the two-year suspended death sentence and life imprisonment 2012: Second amendment to Criminal Procedure Law - New measures to strengthen criminal defence 2015: Opinions on Handling Domestic Violence Criminal Cases 2015: Ninth amendment to the Criminal Law - Number of capital crimes reduced by 9 to 46 - Introduced two-year suspension of death sentence without possibility of any commutation 2018: Third amendment to Criminal Procedure Law - Introduction of expedited procedures, may include death penalty eligible crimes - Bar raised for execution where those given two-year suspended death sentence commit further offence 5