The Ministry of Justice yesterday approved a promotions and transfers list for 155 prosecutors and judicial officials, although the process has been fraught with controversy with a legal challenge and a partial leak of the names.
At the meeting of the Prosecutors’ Personnel Review Committee, the list was announced to the public by the ministry.
Prior to the meeting, Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) made the final decision by selecting names from a list of candidates to fill vacancies in judicial agencies and offices.
Among the most notable placements was the promotion of Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office deputy chief prosecutor Su Pei-yu (蘇佩鈺), who was promoted to a post at the High Prosecutors’ Office.
The 155 names that were approved was the most involved in judicial job transfers in recent years. Thirty-seven prosecutors were transferred to second-trial courts, 56 to first-trial courts and 62 new prosecutors were put on probation-period assignments.
Shilin District Prosecutor Tsai Chi-wen (蔡啟文) said he would continue to pursue a legal challenge over the minister making the final selections. He filed a preliminary injunction with the High Administrative Court in Taipei last month.
Tsai, who is a member of the review committee, said after the meeting that he is not happy with the procedures and the results, telling reporters that he raised objections over a number of prosecutors who had questionable conduct records, but was defeated when other members voted against his motions.
“The High Administrative Court has not made a ruling on the injunction. As there has been no decision made, I consider the minister of justice making the final selections to be unlawful,” Tsai said.
The final list of names was leaked to some judicial officials earlier this week.
According to a judicial source, the leaked list showed preferential promotion and job transfer to higher-level offices were linked to prosecutors who had worked at or had temporary assignment at the ministry’s main offices, mostly for administrative or management duties.
The leak gave rise to complaints that prosecutors would be less likely to engage in the grind of criminal investigations and grassroots prosecutorial work if preferential promotions are given to prosecutors in administrative roles and those with connections to high-ranking ministry officials.
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