Partisan strife was frequent and justice bills were few in the previous legislative session, civil groups said on Thursday, urging the governing and opposition parties to work together to pass what they described as the “10 priority policies and bills,” including a public interest act to protect whistle-blowers.
A justice alliance formed by the Taiwan Jury Association, Prison Watch, Taiwan Civil Liberties Union and other civil groups released its evaluation report on the legislature’s contribution to judicial justice ahead of the beginning of the new legislative session yesterday.
The report said the legislature underperformed, as only 11 bills were relevant to judicial justice in the previous session, much fewer than before.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Most bills that passed the third reading remained the same as the version proposed by the Executive Yuan, indicating that lawmakers are not proactive enough, it added.
The underperformance of the legislature can be linked to the legislative reform bill proposed in the session, which was intended for good, but became a waste of resources due to partisan power struggles, delaying addressing of other urgent judicial challenges, the report said.
However, the reform bill included an amendment to the Criminal Code and the Act Governing the Legislative Yuan’s Power (立法院職權行使法), criminalizing “contempt of the legislature” and requiring the president to reply to lawmakers’ questions immediately after giving an address at the legislature which contradicted the Constitution, it said.
Under the Constitution, the president is not accountable to the legislature, so they do not need to respond to lawmakers, the report said, adding that the amendment should be revised.
The justice alliance also questioned the amendments to the Communication Security and Surveillance Act (通訊保障及監察法), which allow prosecutors to access personal information and network traffic records for investigation purposes, which has caused concerns about invasion of privacy.
The amendments to the Fraud Hazard Prevention Act (詐欺犯罪危害防制條例) also raised human rights concerns, it added.
As such, the alliance proposed 10 judicial policies and bills the legislature can put on top of its agenda for the new session including: abolishing inquiry sessions conducted by prosecutors; amending the State Compensation Act (國家賠償法); establishing a public interest act to protect whistle-blowers; establishing an act in line with the UN’s Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; dividing labor between prosecution and policing systems; curbing prosecutors’ abuse of their power to appeal verdicts; amending the Prison Act (監獄行刑法) to protect prisoners’ rights to vote and institute legal proceedings; establishing an act to combat military injustice; and reducing judicial burdens.
Self-inflicted injuries top the list of causes of deaths in the military, with 97 cases over the past five years, the alliance said, citing data from the Audit Office, adding that the government should protect human rights in the military.
From the restriction of personal freedom to inappropriate police interrogation, torture comes in different forms and puts people at risk of inhuman treatment, Taiwan Jury Association founder Jerry Cheng (鄭文龍) said, calling for the establishment of an act against torture and other cruel treatment.
A public interest act to protect whistle-blowers is needed as well to prevent unlawful deeds inside government agencies and the private sector, he said, adding that the ruling and opposition parties should respect each other and negotiate the priority policies and bills.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
An aviation jacket patch showing a Formosan black bear punching Winnie the Pooh has become popular overseas, including at an aviation festival held by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force at the Ashiya Airbase yesterday. The patch was designed last year by Taiwanese designer Hsu Fu-yu (徐福佑), who said that it was inspired by Taiwan’s countermeasures against frequent Chinese military aircraft incursions. The badge shows a Formosan black bear holding a Republic of China flag as it punches Winnie the Pooh — a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) — who is dressed in red and is holding a honey pot with
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
RSS