Several judicial reform activists yesterday called on the judiciary to protect the legal rights of attorneys, detained suspects and convicts as guaranteed in the Constitution.
“At a time when society is highly polarized between pan-blue and pan-green, between those who support [former president] Chen Shui-bian [陳水扁] and those who are against him, we need a rational and independent judiciary that looks after everyone’s rights and brings hope to the society,” Taiwan Bar Association (TWBA) chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) told a press conference. “The judicial system has yet to pass that test.”
While many have long questioned the human rights record of the judicial system, recent cases had helped to bring the “dark side” under the spotlight, he said.
Chen’s attorney, Cheng Wen-lung (鄭文龍), is now under investigation as the Ministry of Justice suspects that he may have leaked details of ongoing cases when delivering messages from Chen to the public after visiting the former president in detention.
Cheng said that he was accompanied by two prosecutor’s aides each time he met Chen and that the aides would “remind” him when he might have said something inappropriate. He said all his conversations with Chen were recorded and videotaped.
Attorneys representing other suspects and defendants involved in Chen’s alleged cases of embezzlement and accepting brides have also complained about the procedure.
“A meeting between a suspect or defendant and his or her attorney can of course be watched, but no one should be listening to it, recording it or handing those recordings to prosecutors,” Koo said.
Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成), convener of the Alliance for Human Rights in Criminal Cases, agreed.
“The Detention Law [羇押法] stipulates that a meeting between a detained individual and an attorney may be ‘watched.’ Obviously, having someone listen in and even record the conversation is unlawful,” Lo said. “What happened in Chen’s case is not an isolated one. This unlawful practice has, in fact, long been in existence.”
“Instead of launching an investigation of lawyers over leaks of details of ongoing cases, the judiciary should launch an investigation into the prosecutors to try to find out how the media is able to get so much detailed information on ongoing cases,” Judicial Reform Foundation executive director Lin Feng-jeng (林峰正) said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
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