An amendment that would allow couples to get a divorce through court mediation passed the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee yesterday.
Under the revision to the Civil Code, a divorce could be obtained through court mediation, after which the court would be required to notify the couple’s household registration office.
The amendment will proceed to a plenary legislative session for further debate without undergoing cross-party negotiations.
It was proposed and endorsed by legislators across party lines, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chiang Yi-hsiung (江義雄) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英), Chen Chieh-ju (陳節如) and Wong Chin-chu (翁金珠).
Huang yesterday said married couples could currently divorce with the consent of both parties or through a court ruling, but a divorce through court mediation would offer a platform for rational communication and protect the interests of the spouse who is at a disadvantage in the process.
The Ministry of the Interior supported the revision.
Jair Lan-pin (翟蘭萍), senior executive officer of the Department of Household Registration Affairs, said tacking on the house registration rule was necessary because Article 48 of the Household Registration Act (戶籍法) requires household registration authorities to change the marital status of individuals who are granted a divorce but who fail to report the change.
Juvenile and Household Affairs Office Deputy Director Hsu Shih-feng (?? said that while divorced individuals would be able to take their court mediation record to the household registration office to change their marital status, they would need to wait for the court to notify the office as well.
Meanwhile, the legislative committee also approved amendments to the Consumer Debt Clearance Regulations (消費者債務清理條例) that would allow debtors struggling with repayment to seek legal assistance from local consumer protection authorities.
To help local governments cope with the added workload, the committee attached a clause to empower the Judicial Yuan and Executive Yuan to negotiate on government funding.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
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A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
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