The fifth subcommittee meeting of the national conference on judicial reform met at the Judical Yuan in Taipei on Thursday to discuss decriminalizing defamation, drafting a special law to protect whistle-blowers and government corruption.
The subcommittee also discussed economic crimes, minor offenses under the Criminal Code, and deficiencies in judicial procedure.
The members reached a consensus on decriminalizing defamation, which is codified as public insult, slander and aggravated libel under the Criminal Code.
The decision to decriminalize defamation has to do with protecting free speech and free media, said Taiwan National Chiao Tung University law professor Lin Chih-chieh (林志潔), a leading member of the subcommittee.
“Prosecution of offenses relating to freedom of expression contravene the protection of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. We must not permit prosecution of these offenses to being used as threats to silence people,” Lin said, adding that the majority of these cases are a waste of resources, as they are dismissed without charge after prosecutors investigate.
Lin and other officials suggested the cases related to insult, defamation and slander be filed with the civil court.
A Ministry of Justice recommendation to draft a special law to protect people who report criminal activity was supported by the subcommittee, in line with whistleblower protection acts enforced in many countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany and New Zealand.
Lin said that the judiciary refers to the Witness Protection Act (證人保護法) in such cases, but there are severe restrictions on the scope and statue of limitations on protective measures for whistle-blowers.
Members said greater efforts are needed to investigate alleged corruption, profiteering, influence peddling and related crimes by public functionaries and officials at various levels of the government, followed by strict enforcement of the law.
The subcommittee recommended reassessing and integrating malfeasance by those holding public office and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例) to address corruption and economic crimes in government ranks.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
The Taipei District Court sentenced babysitters Liu Tsai-hsuan (劉彩萱) and Liu Jou-lin (劉若琳) to life and 18 years in prison respectively today for causing the death of a one-year-old boy in December 2023. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that Liu Tsai-hsuan was entrusted with the care of a one-year-old boy, nicknamed Kai Kai (剴剴), in August 2023 by the Child Welfare League Foundation. From Sept. 1 to Dec. 23 that year, she and her sister Liu Jou-lin allegedly committed acts of abuse against the boy, who was rushed to the hospital with severe injuries on Dec. 24, 2023, but did not