Law enforcement officers will no longer be able to conduct raids in motels or other business venues unless they have "appropriate reasons," according to a draft bill approved by the Executive Yuan yesterday.
If a raid is necessary, it would have to be conducted during business hours. Citizens, who question the necessity of the raid and think the raid violates their individual rights, could request a written explanation from the officer on the spot. The paper would serve as a legal document in court should they find it necessary to file a lawsuit in the future.
The draft -- the statute regarding the execution of duties of police officers (
Addressing reporters after the weekly closed-door Cabinet affairs meeting, Cabinet Spokesman Chuang Suo-hang (莊碩漢) said that the piece of legislation was proposed to strike a balance between public security and human rights.
"The spirit of the law is that the means adopted by law enforcement officers should not infringe on human rights although they may have positive contributions to public safety," Chuang said.
The enactment of the legislation is in response to a request made by the Council of Grand Justices on Dec. 14 last year.
According to interpretation No. 535, law enforcement officers violate individual freedom, property rights and personal privacy if they conduct raids, interrogate citizens or stop people at road checks unless they are empowered by the law to do so.
Due to the lack of such legislation, the council requested that such a law be enacted within two years.
According to the draft, law enforcement officers should wear police uniforms or identify themselves when conducting raids, interrogating people, or asking drivers to pull over, or when searching vehicles, residences or business venues.
They should also have "appropriate reasons" to do so.
"Appropriate reasons" is defined as the reasonable judgment made by law enforcement officers based on their professional experience or information that would lead the officers to believe that a crime was being committed.
When law enforcement officers find a place, vehicle or business venue that has the potential of causing, or has already caused, pubic danger, they could conduct a search or investigation of the place, vehicle or venue.
They could not, however, do so at a private residence.
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation
Taiwan and the US have begun trade negotiations over tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump earlier this month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said in an interview this morning before reporting to the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the US, has already established communication channels with the US Department of State and the US Trade Representative (USTR), and is engaging in intensive consultations, he said. Points of negotiation include tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers and issues related to investment, procurement and export controls, he
RSS