Hopes that changes to the Judges Act (法官法) would help dismiss incompetent or abusive judges have not been met, the Judicial Reform Foundation said on Thursday.
The amended act ordered the Judicial Yuan to establish the Judicial Evaluation Committee to evaluate judges, and the Judicial Personnel Review Committee to evaluate their appointments, removals and transfers.
It also called for the Prosecutors’ Evaluation Committee and the Prosecutors’ Personnel Review Committee to enable judicial authorities or members of the public to request an evaluation of prosecutors.
However, the system has not shown results, foundation chairman Lin Yung-sung (林永頌) said.
Members of the public filed 622 complaints in the past year requesting evaluations of judges or prosecutors, but not one was successful, Lin said.
Records showed that only two cases received hearings.
“The results are worrying for the foundation and people pushing for judicial reform,” Lin said.
The committees should provide information about what would constitute misconduct, negligence or other improper conduct by judicial personnel, he said.
Civic groups and individuals should be allowed to file joint complaints, and committee members should refrain from applying their “legal interpretations,” Lin said, adding that the Judicial Yuan should compile the complaints and their proceedings in an annual report.
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