Lawmakers yesterday continued to slog through a review of a draft “national judge act” that began on Monday afternoon, covering only one-third of the act, or 37 articles, by noon.
However, lawmakers vowed to complete the review of the draft and the third reading by midnight yesterday.
A total of 113 articles have been proposed for the draft, and after three rounds of deliberation, 100 articles still needed to be discussed.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
The draft articles that passed a second reading yesterday include that the lay judge system would comprise three career judges and six lay judges, with the lay judges being chosen from citizens aged 23 and over who have resided within the jurisdiction of the court for at least four months.
As of press time last night, lawmakers were expected to review draft articles on lay judges obtaining days off from work, and on whether lay judges would have access to the dossier and evidence.
While the review was continuing in the main chamber, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus held a news conference outside the legislative complex.
KMT caucus whip Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) told reporters that the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) past guidelines and 17 DPP legislators favored a jury system instead.
The DPP was selling out, choosing to give the public a lay judge system — a decision that was “made behind closed doors with the Judicial Yuan” — which would allow professional judges to continue to be the main decisionmakers in the judicial processes, Lin said.
The KMT’s version of the act is that of a moderated lay judge system, which was formulated after much discussion with experts and civic groups, Lin said.
The KMT’s version, which would utilize a lay judge system and jury system simultaneously, shows the true spirit of reform, he said.
DPP caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) said that the DPP’s view has changed over time.
The party’s guidelines were formulated under an autocratic government and called for a transparent judicial process with a jury formed by party representatives, National Assembly representatives and other morally upstanding people, Ker said.
This differs from the standard definition of a jury system, he said.
The US’ legal system cannot be transplanted directly to Taiwan; doing so would require sweeping changes to laws such as the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法) and re-educating law students and lawyers, Ker said.
The DPP is doing what a responsible political party would do, Ker said, adding that the KMT’s proposal for two legal systems working side-by-side would not work.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
An increase in Taiwanese boats using China-made automatic identification systems (AIS) could confuse coast guards patrolling waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast and become a loophole in the national security system, sources familiar with the matter said yesterday. Taiwan ADIZ, a Facebook page created by enthusiasts who monitor Chinese military activities in airspace and waters off Taiwan’s southwest coast, on Saturday identified what seemed to be a Chinese cargo container ship near Penghu County. The Coast Guard Administration went to the location after receiving the tip and found that it was a Taiwanese yacht, which had a Chinese AIS installed. Similar instances had also
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition