Lawmakers across party lines on Thursday remained silent on the agreement of the preparatory committee for the National Congress on Judicial Reform to list adultery as an offense that needs to be decriminalized, with only a few openly voicing support or opposition.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said the party had already received a great many reactions — mostly negative — regarding the news that decriminalizing adultery would be a part of future judicial reforms.
Lin called on the government to hold more public hearings and listen to opinions from all sides, adding that judicial reforms should not be carried out until there is a social consensus.
People First Party (PFP) Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said that while many counties do not treat adultery as a criminal and punishable offense, the culture in Taiwan still tends to be conservative on such social issues.
Decriminalizing adultery could have a social impact comparable with the decriminalization of class-4 narcotics, which led to an increase in the number of younger drug users, Lee said.
New Power Party (NPP) Legislators declined to comment on the development.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) said he fully supported the motion and said adultery cases should be adjudicated in civil courts, as treating adultery as a criminal issue was outdated and unfair.
KMT caucus convener Sufin Siluko (廖國棟) said he opposes the proposal and that decriminalizing adultery would cause severe change within society.
The KMT supports “family values” and would keep those values in mind when scrutinizing the amendment in the Legislative Yuan, Sufin said.
The committee also called for the abolition of Article 239 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), should Article 239 of the Criminal Code not be abolished.
Article 239 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states that under the “no trials without complaint” principle, if charges against one of the accomplices are dropped, charges against all other suspects would need to be dropped as well. Under Article 239 of the Criminal Code, however, adulterers would still be charged should their spouse retract the charges.
The committee has held five meetings to date, though it has experienced several setbacks, including opposition by Prosecutor-General Yen Da-ho (顏大和), who said that the reforms were a publicity stunt.
Two of the committee’s original members have resigned, citing a lack of respect among the members, too many issues on the agenda and the committee overreaching its authority.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
STAY COOL: The HPA recommended that people stay hydrated, use air-conditioning or fans while indoors, wear loose-fitting clothes and walk in the shade while outdoors Employers must implement measures such as installing cooling equipment, and providing drinking water and rest breaks for outdoor workers starting from Monday next week, the Taipei Department of Labor said on Sunday. Employers who fail to comply could face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法), the department said. Businesses in Taipei employing fewer than 100 workers, as well as registered self-employed workers with labor insurance coverage, could receive on-site assessments and guidance from occupational safety consultants to help them apply for central government subsidies to implement or improve heat-protection measures, it said. Under the Ministry of
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS