The Control Yuan yesterday impeached Supreme Court Judge Hsiao Yang-kuei (蕭仰歸) and High Court Presiding Judge Kao Ming-che (高明哲) for allegedly lobbying other judges to rule favorably in a case involving one of the accused’s family members.
Control Yuan members Huang Wu-tzu (黃武次) and Lee Ful-dien(李復甸), who initiated the motion, said Hsiao and Kao “damaged the image of the country’s judiciary” and their behavior was in violation of the Civil Servants Work Act (公務人員服務法) and the Code of Practices governing judges’ code of conduct.
HIT AND RUN
The case in question involved Hsiao’s son, Hsiao Hsien-luen (蕭賢綸), who was accused of committing a hit and run driving offense in 2008.
The junior Hsiao was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison and two years of probation by the Keelung District Court. The High Court changed the ruling on appeal to “not guilty.”
Lee said the senior Hsiao was found to have lobbied the judges hearing the cases at both the district and high court levels, and that Kao, an old friend of the senior Hsiao, also lobbied for a “not guilty” verdict.
HUMAN NATURE
“Although it was human nature that a father extended a helping hand to his son in trouble, it certainly was not something a father should do when he was a judge,” Lee said.
Following the Control Yuan’s decision, Hsiao and Kao will be disciplined by the Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission. They had already been suspended from their posts before the Control Yuan acted yesterday.
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