Every year, the Judicial Reform Foundation (民間司法改革基金會) publishes a list of "vicious" judges and reveals their misdeeds in court. The practice is aimed at doing away with bad judges and promoting judicial reform.
Now, we are seeing something on the other end of the spectrum -- a paragon for good judges. We watch this congenial, affable judge on TV as she announces -- before the trial begins -- that the defendants did not steal any money.
During the trial, the judge turns to the defendants from time to time and smiles at them. When the defendants run out of words for their answers, the judge kindly answers on their behalf and helps explain the complicated details of the case. Such a judge is the epitome of every defendant's dreams.
On the other hand, such a judge is the epitome of a plain-tiff's nightmare. In fact, just like those "vicious" judges; she sets a bad example that will ruin the concept of judicial fairness and obstruct the quest for justice.
Legislator Hsieh Chi-ta (
Now, after Tuesday's news conference, her intentions have been exposed. There is no need to await her next investigative report.
Hsieh's biased stance has destroyed the fairness of her investigating team. Despite all the charts and words floated at the news conference, despite all the arrows and convoluted explanations, there was a feeling that this was all a rehearsed performance, leaving viewers to know neither what is what nor why.
Soong's explanations did not go beyond any of his previous two news conferences. Nor was he able to explain why his private money was lumped together for so long with money that was not his.
Hsieh tried to use the cloak of her former profession to rescue the beleaguered Soong. But perhaps she has been away from a judge's career for so long that she has forgotten the principles of justice. As a result, she has turned from a mediator into an implicated party in the scandal.
Apart from failing to salvage Soong from his political crisis, Hsieh has also managed to push him further into danger -- from possible lawsuits from the KMT for misappropriation, breach of trust and forgery.
Hsieh's kind-hearted help has placed Soong in the disadvantageous position of having to fight on both the political and judicial fronts.
Vincent Lin is deputy editor-in-chief at The Journalist.
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