The Ministry of Justice on Friday announced plans to better protect the rights of victims of crime and their families, by enhancing their legal status and allowing them to participate in trial hearings, introducing a draft bill to address deficiencies in the judicial system.
As part of the ongoing judicial reform process, the changes would allow victims and their families to be represented by legal counsel and respond to court rulings, while for serious crimes, including murder, legal assistance would be provided throughout the entire legal procedure, Minister of Justice Chiu Tai-san (邱太三) said.
To arrive at these objectives, the ministry is to draft amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法) for submission to the legislature within six months, Chiu said.
Photo: CNA
There has been rising public sentiment to improve the rights of crime victims and their families in light of several prominent murder cases and preventable accidents which resulted in loss of life, including the murder of a couple who owned a cafe by an employee in 2013; a knife attack on the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit System by a lone assailant that resulted in four deaths in 2014; the Color Play Asia disaster at the Formosa Fun Coast (八仙海岸) water park in New Taipei City’s Bali District (八里) which led to 15 fatalities and injured more than 500 people in 2015; and the decapitation of a four-year-old girl in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) last year.
Chiu said the The Code of Criminal Procedure, restricts victims and their families from giving their opinions and viewpoints during the trial, which leads to resentment and irate reactions, as the accused and their lawyers have the right to argue their case and present their defense.
“In the past, victims were treated as witnesses and asked to give their testimonies, but they did not participate in court hearings. The justice ministry is working to elevate the legal status of victims,” Chiu said. “We agree that victims have the right to express their opinions and viewpoints and also have the right to better understand the background and details of a crime.”
The proposed amendments would see major revisions to the code governing criminal proceedings by granting the victim the right to legal representation, to review the evidence and results of investigations, to give opinions at the trial hearing, and respond to judgement on a case, and have the right to file an appeal.
“We want to amend the law so victims are notified of a conviction, informed of their rights, and given an understanding of the legal process that is to take place. Victims and their families should be notified of a court ruling in the first instance, so that they do not hear about it in the media first,” Chiu said.
The ministry is to work with the Association for Victims Support to immediately notify victims of sentencing, jail transfers, or parole of people convicted of a crime against them.
EXCUSES: Beijing is using government and research vessels as a pretext to harass the nation and enter its EEZ, and engage in ‘hegemonic expansion,’ the coast guard said The Coast Guard Administration yesterday said it drove away Chinese oceanographic research vessel Xiang Yang Hong 22 (向陽紅33) from restricted waters after warning it that it was in Taiwan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The Chinese vessel entered restricted waters off the coast of Yilan County’s Suao (蘇澳) at 11:35pm on Thursday, the coast guard said, adding that it dispatched the Lanyu patrol vessel and the boat PP-10077 to shadow the Chinese ship and issue radio warnings ordering it to leave. China has no sovereignty over waters off Taiwan’s east coast, Lanyu’s crew told Xiang Yang Hong 22 over the radio, and demanded
Typhoon Mekkhala is likely to come closest to Taiwan on Thursday, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA), which forecast localized rain or thundershowers in western and northeastern parts of the country for that day. As of 2pm yesterday, the eye of the storm was 770km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), the southernmost point of Taiwan, as it continued to move toward waters east of the Philippines, the agency said. Mekkhala was expected to become a severe typhoon last night, CWA forecaster Lai Hsin-kuo (賴欣國) said. A severe typhoon has maximum wind speeds of more than 184kph, compared with 118kph to 183kph for a
Tropical Storm Mekkhala is forecast to strengthen into a typhoon tomorrow and could come close enough to Taiwan later in the week to prompt a sea warning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2 pm, the storm was located 1,870 kilometers southeast of Taiwan's southern tip and moving west- northwest at 23 km per hour. CWA forecaster Cheng Chieh-jen (鄭傑仁) said Mekkhala is expected to continue moving west-northwest through Tuesday under the influence of the Pacific high- pressure system before gradually turning north toward waters east of Taiwan or south of the Ryukyu Islands. The timing and angle of the
RISING POPULARITY: Enhanced flight connectivity and a visa waiver trial program are among the motivations that have boosted travel to Taiwan by Filipinos, the agency said The Tourism Administration said yesterday that it is stepping up efforts to attract tourists from the Philippines following strong growth during the first quarter. The agency’s data showed the nation welcomed 210,000 Filipino visitors from January to March, marking a 43 percent increase compared with the same period last year. The Philippines is Taiwan’s top source of inbound tourists among the Southeast Asian nations, data showed. With a population of 116 million and national median age of 26, the Philippines boasts a young demographic with strong travel potential, the Tourism Administration said. Outbound travel demand in the Philippines continues to rise amid robust
RSS