President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 13 that all government agencies involved in judicial reform in Taiwan have been instructed to communicate the latest developments so as to keep the public fully informed as the process moves into the next stage.
Key reform issues must be explained in language understandable to the people so there is a clear grasp of the process, Tsai said. For issues on which there is a high level of public consensus, agencies must fast-track implementation of measures to meet the expectations of the people before the national congress takes place in the middle of the year, she added.
Tsai made the remarks after chairing the fourth and final meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the National Congress on Judicial Reform at the Office of the President in Taipei City. A key component of the government’s policy platform, the reform aims to transform the judiciary into one more responsive to developments in society and the needs of the people.
According to the committee, the next stage of reform involves the division of its 91 members—more than half laypersons—into five groups to discuss the issues identified as of most concern to the public.
Top of the list is the need to better protect the rights of victims of crime and the disadvantaged, with focuses like maintaining secrecy of investigation so as to prevent trial by media, minimizing miscarriage of justice and providing adequate judicial remedies.
Another main issue is promoting a credible, fair and professional judicial system. Key considerations span expediting the trial process to restore public faith, improving the quality of rulings in cases requiring knowledge of professional fields such as business and trade, and resolving inconsistencies in verdicts.
Also high on the agenda are judicial accountability and efficiency. Efforts will be directed at raising the standard of self-monitoring, improving the existing mechanism for eliminating inefficient judicial officers, reinforcing external assessment and supervision, and strengthening professional ethics and social responsibilities of lawyers.
Equally important is promoting judicial transparency and public participation, with attention centering on enhancing communication and dialogue between the judicial system and the people. This extends to issuing rulings and verdicts in language understandable to the public and introducing more out-of-court dispute settlement mechanisms.
Similarly significant is maintaining social security. Leading subjects for review include food safety breaches, narcotics policies, prevention of major crimes and recovery of proceeds from crime, as well as improving correctional institutions so as to reduce the rate of recidivism.
Each of the five groups will hold sessions every two weeks starting Feb. 20, with the national congress set to take place at the end of June, according to the Office of the President. (SFC-E)
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