The Taipei District Court has issued its verdict on a case of physical violence that took place in the Legislative Yuan in 1998, but both parties concerned expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence.
Under the verdict issued on Friday, independent Legislator Lo Fu-chu (
Lo yesterday protested what he called "political interference" in the judicial system. Yu, on the other hand, accused the judge of deliberately handing down a light punishment to help the three to avoid imprisonment.
According to the Criminal Code, a person convicted of inflicting bodily injuries can face imprisonment of up to three years. A sentence of fewer than 60 days in prison, however, can be substituted by the payment of a fine.
Lo, a convener of the legislature's Judiciary Committee who also suffered injuries in the scuffle, denounced the verdict as unfair.
"The judicial authorities accepted the one-sided story of Legislator Yu Jan-daw and never examined the videotape recording the entire course of events," Lo said.
"Now the people who injured me remain beyond the reach of the law. Where is the fairness of such a judicial system?" Lo added.
Lo said it had been inappropriate for the judiciary to get involved in the case in the first place, because he said it was a matter concerning the "autonomy" and "self-discipline" of the legislature.
"How come the judicial branch is now siding with the DPP? Does this mean politics comes before the law?" Lo asked.
The incident took place on June 15, 1998, when legislators were reviewing proposed amendments to the Farmers' Association Law (
In the middle of the meeting, some DPP legislators, disagreeing with the way the meeting was being conducted, protested to the chairman and blocked the continuation of the meeting.
Lo later joined the quarrel and started the scuffle, which involved several dozen legislators. Yu was assaulted by Lo, Lin and Chou when he tried to mediate and stop the fight.
Yu said he had filed a suit against the three legislators "because there is absolutely no self-discipline in the legislature."
"The legislature's disciplinary committee has never held a meeting, and that's why I resorted to legal means. Furthermore, physical violence isn't protected by immunity from judicial prosecution enjoyed by lawmakers," Yu said.
Yu said he would file an appeal with the court, as the sentence was too light and insufficient to curb violence in the legislature.
"Since the detention can be replaced by a fine, isn't this a skillful way for the judge to accommodate Lo?" Yu said.
Rejecting Lo's claim that the court had not collected any videotape as evidence, Yu said there were in fact videotapes provided by several TV companies which recorded the entire chain of events.
Yu said that Lo was injured when he was scuffling with other legislators.
LONG FLIGHT: The jets would be flown by US pilots, with Taiwanese copilots in the two-seat F-16D variant to help familiarize them with the aircraft, the source said The US is expected to fly 10 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 70/72 jets to Taiwan over the coming months to fulfill a long-awaited order of 66 aircraft, a defense official said yesterday. Word that the first batch of the jets would be delivered soon was welcome news to Taiwan, which has become concerned about delays in the delivery of US arms amid rising military tensions with China. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the initial tranche of the nation’s F-16s are rolling off assembly lines in the US and would be flown under their own power to Taiwan by way
OBJECTS AT SEA: Satellites with synthetic-aperture radar could aid in the detection of small Chinese boats attempting to illegally enter Taiwan, the space agency head said Taiwan aims to send the nation’s first low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite into space in 2027, while the first Formosat-8 and Formosat-9 spacecraft are to be launched in October and 2028 respectively, the National Science and Technology Council said yesterday. The council laid out its space development plan in a report reviewed by members of the legislature’s Education and Culture Committee. Six LEO satellites would be produced in the initial phase, with the first one, the B5G-1A, scheduled to be launched in 2027, the council said in the report. Regarding the second satellite, the B5G-1B, the government plans to work with private contractors
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
‘NARWHAL’: The indigenous submarine completed its harbor acceptance test recently and is now under heavy guard as it undergoes tests in open waters, a source said The Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, yesterday began sea trials, sailing out of the Port of Kaohsiung, a military source said. Also known as the “Narwhal,” the vessel departed from CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard at about 8am, where it had been docked. More than 10 technicians and military personnel were on deck, with several others standing atop the sail. After recently completing its harbor acceptance test, the vessel has started a series of sea-based trials, including tests of its propulsion and navigational systems, while partially surfaced, the source said. The Hai Kun underwent tests in the port from
RSS