The Constitutional Court is to hear oral arguments next month on the constitutionality of a package of controversial amendments passed by the legislature at the end of May that opposition lawmakers said would strengthen lawmakers’ ability to scrutinize the executive branch.
The oral arguments are scheduled to be held in Taipei on Aug. 6, the Judicial Yuan, which oversees the Constitutional Court, said in a news release on Thursday.
Relevant parties are to present their views on whether the amendments, which came into effect on Wednesday last week, contravene the Constitution and whether the deliberation that led up to their passage in the Legislative Yuan constituted “palpable” and “sufficient” defects.
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Respective cases were brought to the court over the past week by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus, the Executive Yuan, President William Lai (賴清德) and the Control Yuan, as part of a DPP-led effort to overturn amendments they said are unconstitutional.
The changes to the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法) and the Criminal Code were passed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party lawmakers, who hold a combined majority in the legislature, on May 28.
The updated laws grant the Legislative Yuan new investigative powers, including the power to hold hearings. Public officials would be fined or imprisoned if they refuse to attend hearings or provide information when asked to do so by legislators, or if they present false information.
People or entities in the private sector might also face penalties if they are deemed uncooperative.
The amendments also include provisions that could compel the president to give an annual state of the nation address and field questions from legislators.
Thursday’s announcement came two days after the Judicial Yuan said the Constitutional Court planned to hold a preparatory hearing for an injunction requested by the DPP petitioners seeking to halt enforcement of the new amendments.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the Legislative Yuan in the days leading up to the passing of the amendments on May 28, with an estimated 100,000 demonstrators on May 24.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
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