Lawmakers yesterday passed the third reading of amendments to the Juvenile Justice Act (少年事件處理法), which would bolster protections for young people detained by police or facing judicial procedures.
The amendments would bolster protections for young people from confinement and handcuffing, and help prevent injuries and self-harm while investigations are being conducted, lawmakers said.
The act defines protections for people aged 12 to 18, who are typically processed by the juvenile system if they are charged, but judicial experts and reform advocates have said that the current system can infringe on their rights.
The proposed amendments include provisions to guarantee a youth suspect the presence of a parent, legal guardian and lawyer when being questioned or making statements, which must be preceded by a written notice.
The changes would ban police and judicial officials from using confinement devices, including handcuffs and shackles, on youth suspects, except in serious cases or when flight is a strong possibility.
Separately, legislators approved the third reading of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), to deal with abuse of judicial resources.
To expedite trials and facilitate justice for people affected by crime, the judicial resources amendments would bar cases from being appealed to the Supreme Court when appellate courts have upheld earlier decisions in cases of violence in causing bodily harm or death, and possession of more than 20g of category 1 or 2 narcotics.
Under separate amendments approved by the legislature on Tuesday, people found guilty of vandalizing or hacking into critical infrastructure would face a sentence of up to seven years and a NT$10 million (US$325,034) fine.
The infrastructure amendments, which the Cabinet passed to the legislature in April, apply to public transportation systems, postal services, hospitals and financial institutions, as well as telecommunications, nuclear and space facilities and utilities.
The increased punishments are a response to a spate of incidents, including two undersea communications cables linking Taiwan and Lienchiang County being severed in February, the Cabinet said.
In addition, electricity cables at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport were allegedly cut by construction workers in March last year, leading to a power outage affecting the airport’s Terminal 2, it said.
Cabinet spokesman Lin Tze-luen (林子倫) said that the new rules were part of an effort to “deter illegal activities” aimed at compromising the country’s critical infrastructure.
The Cabinet would work with government agencies to bolster law enforcement to protect critical facilities, Lin said.
Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers said that the amendments would provide law enforcement agencies with “consistent” legal tools to better protect critical infrastructure in Taiwan, as current laws were too lenient on illegal activities.
Under existing laws, the maximum punishment for severing undersea cables is a prison term of less than two years, the lawmakers said.
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
The Taiwan Experience Education Program (TEEP) has funded short-term internships in Taiwan for more than 4,500 young people from more than 40 countries since 2015, with the goal of attracting and retaining international talent, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. Fifty-five colleges launched 514 projects this year, including in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, medicine and biotechnology, green energy, and sustainability, it said. The program provides research and practical internships in Taiwan for two to six months, and offers cultural exchange and networking opportunities, the ministry said. For example, National Formosa University’s Embedded System and Autopilot Laboratory developed two solar-powered drones in
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
Taipei resident Mu Chu-hua caught some glimpses of China’s mighty military parade on YouTube on Wednesday. As she watched hypersonic missiles roll down Beijing’s Changan Avenue and troops march in lockstep, she did not feel like they posed a threat to Taiwan. Mu, a 69-year-old retiree, said she saw the parade as simply a way for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to “say thank you to the troops.” “I thought it was quite normal,” she said. “It was very cool.” China’s military parade commemorating the end of World War II was being watched internationally for insights into Beijing’s military advances and its show
RSS