The first in a series of public hearings on the question of whether the death penalty should be abolished will be held April 21 in Taipei County, the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) said Sunday. The public hearing, which is expected to draw the participation of people on both sides of the death penalty issue, will focus on two main questions -- whether the 44 convicts currently on death row should be executed and what should be the government's policy on capital punishment, the ministry said in a statement. While it is Taiwan's ultimate goal to abolish the death penalty, there is no timetable for doing so, the ministry said. The priorities at the moment are to forge a national consensus on the issue, reduce the use of death penalty and give better protection to crime victims, it added. As part of the government's efforts to strengthen communication with the public, the ministry will join with district prosecutors offices to hold four public hearings on topics related to the death penalty. The first hearing will be held April 21 at a Lunshan Temple-owned culture hall Banciao City, and the other three will be held later in Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualien, respectively. Members of the public are invited to attend the hearings to voice their views, the ministry said. The discussions will examine factors that should be considered in evaluating whether the death penalty should be phased out, the purpose and social significance of such a move, the effects of correctional education, and whether government finances and the country's image should be taken into account in making a decision on capital punishment. Other issues to be discussed will include what complementary measures should be adopted if death penalty will remain in place and how to improve the death penalty-related judicial process. 