Justice did not arrive late in the case of Kaohsiung City Council speaker Chu An-hsiung (
From his indictment to the Supreme Court verdict, Chu's case took less than 10 months. The credit for such efficiency belongs not to the Supreme Court alone, but to everyone involved in the process. The prosecutors filed an indictment -- backed by ample evidence -- one month into their investigation. The trial and appellate courts held intensive hearings. Thus the record-breaking speed of progress in Chu's case.
In all past vote-buying cases, the final Supreme Court verdict did not come until after the vote-buyer's term in office had ended. Such late justice not only undermined the force of whatever punishment was meted out, but also gave society an impression that the judiciary was condoning vote-buying. Even if a politician was indicted on vote-buying charges -- which was quite unlikely in those days -- he or she could try to prolong the legal process while reaping returns on his financial investment in the elected position. Moreover, only a handful of those indicted were eventually found guilty by the Supreme Court. Such ineffectiveness simply encouraged even more vote-buying.
In Chu's case, public opinion was an important driving force behind the speeded-up judicial process. Both the media and the general public find it intolerable that indicted councilors are still holding council meetings.
A crackdown on vote-buying has been one of the government's major policy targets. Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
No longer will elected officials feel confident that their office will protect them from judicial investigation and punishment. If all vote-buying cases can proceed as smoothly as this case, it will be a clear deterrent. Corrupt officials now know they face incurring legal expenses, and run a real risk of losing their job and spending a few years in prison.
Chu will lose his both his councilor job and the council speaker's position before he goes to prison. This will be the first step in resolving the Kaohsiung City Council's predicament. During the vote-buying investigation, many implicated councilors tried to keep their legal immunity by having the council hold extraordinary sessions. The city council's actions tarnished the dignity of Kaohsiung's residents, elected officials and city government.
Chu's case is a litmus test for how close judicial verdicts are to public opinion. If the prosecutors and police can collect solid evidence and if the judges can dispense justice speedily regardless of the status of the defendant, they will then be playing useful roles in public life. More such legal victories, however, will be needed to convince people that the judicial efficiency is improving.
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