For the last dozen years, the Judicial Reform Foundation has held high hopes and expectations for the judiciary, and has been attentive in bringing up reform initiatives and providing necessary oversight. We aspire to maintain expertise and enthusiasm for the law and to strengthen the rule of law in Taiwan.
In recent years, investigations into irregularities by government officials have repeatedly caused suspicion and distrust among the public. This trend has made the foundation anxious. In particular, the view that the president's special allowance fund case should be investigated by outsiders and that it is a final decisive battle between two sides imply that judicial action in this case will decide Taiwan's entire future. Being an organization devoted to judicial reform and oversight, at this critical time we must make several declarations and express our expectations.
First, countries ruled by law respect the law and emphasize the system. They above all try and switch the expectation for saintly leaders into trust for the law and the system. Therefore, we would like to appeal to people not to have excessive expectations or hopes for the government or even the judiciary itself. By the same token, there is no need to attack and criticize the judiciary. Rather than hoping for a savior to descend from the heavens, the people should expend greater effort in planting the roots of legal education, nurturing the concept of the rule of law, and working to establish and abide by the law.
Second, criminal responsibility is much different from civil or administrative responsibility, and even more distinct from political responsibility. For criminal responsibility to be firmly established, accusations must pass through a strict process that involves providing evidence, presuming innocence, following the principle of reasonable doubt and establishing criminality based on legal statutes. Therefore politically inflammatory language and the inferences of media commentators, if unable to provide evidence that stands up to scrutiny, do not produce criminal responsibility.
Whether the parties involved take political or moral responsibility actually has nothing to do with the judiciary. Because of the special nature of legal decisions, a judgement will be unfavorable for one party, and unless one can prove using facts, evidence and legal principles that the judgement does not conform to reality, then one should accept the results of the judgment even if one is still not content with the result. This is the concrete manifestation of the spirit of the rule of law.
Finally, the people should leave the actual final legal judgement to the legal system, and judges or prosecutors alike must not make light of public expectations for the law. On major cases with historical significance, these officials should bravely take responsibility and show that they are following the letter of the law and thoroughly understand the issue by explaining complex facts to the world in simple language.
This is a crucial moment for the rule of law. Besides urging the officials involved to show their professionalism by adhering to the law, they should also understand the people's need for thorough and systematic justice. Nothing should be held back in a verdict, and they should be brave enough to show that they are not ashamed of having a sense of mission and justice when serving the nation's citizens.
We also urge the public to leave behind the destructive idea of benevolent and saintly rulers and break their superstitious trust in the government and the judiciary. Instead, all should turn their enthusiasm and energy toward deepening education in the rule of law and strengthening the system so that Taiwan can become a society that respects the rule of law.
The Judicial Reform Foundation was established in 1997.
Translated by Jason Cox
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