The legislature's recent resolution to oblige prosecutor generals to attend its interpellation sessions has caused concern that the independence of criminal investigations may be undermined, according to district prosecutors interviewed by the Taipei Times yesterday.
The Judicial Committee of the Legislative Yuan on Monday made the resolution that prosecutor generals of all prosecutors' offices, must come to committee sessions to answer legislators' interpellations when invited by the committee to do so.
Currently, in accordance with established practice, prosecutor generals only attend budget review sessions.
The resolution says, however, that lawmakers' inquiries to prosecutor generals should only be about general affairs and not involve particular cases under investigation.
But some doubt whether that stipulation will always be obeyed.
"They [legislators] may start with general affairs but move on to particular cases," a district prosecutor general said. "Recently, many lawmakers focused on particular cases under investigation [during interpellation in the budget review session]" the prosecutor general said.
All of the three district prosecutor generals interviewed by the Taipei Times spoke on condition of anonymity.
Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
"When legislators go to particular cases, can you really refuse to answer?" the district prosecutor general asked.
"If your answer does not satisfy them, they complain that you disrespect the legislature; if you tell too much, you risk breaking the rule which states that details of investigations must not be made public."
Chen has been standing firm against lawmakers' demands since the last legislative session, saying that such practices would bring legislative interference into the judiciary.
Dissatisfied with Chen's stance, the Judicial Committee has refused to review the justice ministry's budget since Nov. 30.
It was not until after the committee reached the resolution on Monday evening that it resumed its review of the justice ministry's budget and passed it quickly.
Another district prosecutor general said inquiries by legislators would put pressure on prosecutors' investigative work.
He said it seemed inevitable that some lawmakers would "lobby" for certain cases.
But KMT Legislator James Chen (陳健治), who spearheaded the resolution, said it was a good thing for prosecutors to feel "pressure."
"The pressure is to remind them not to infringe human rights," Chen said.
"From several recent incidents, such as the search of the China Times Express newsroom, there have been signs that prosecutors have abused their power. This can only be prevented by the scrutiny of the legislature."
He argued that as prosecutors are under the justice ministry, which is under the Executive Yuan, there could be no such problem as the legislature interfering with the judiciary.
Taiwan Independence Party (建國黨) lawmaker Lee Ching-hsiung (李慶雄) opposed the resolution, however. He said that the justice minister can be held accountable on issues such as human rights and administrative matters and there is no need to ask prosecutor generals to come to the legislature.
He also said the agreement not to touch particular cases would not constrain lawmakers, "because some particular cases involve partisan interests while lawmakers have their political concerns."
The first district prosecutor general also said: "If [legislators] can't ask questions about specific cases, there is actually nothing else to inquire about."
The third district prosecutor general said "We respect their [lawmakers'] decision. Whatever they decide we will just do it. What else can we do?"
The third prosecutor-general recently came under fire from a legislator for refusing to answer questions from legislators about a specific case.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
RSS