Statement by the Pro Bono Lawyers' Platform Regarding the Taipei City Government's Refusal to Accept State Compensation Claims for the March 24 State Violence Incident

On August 7 of this year, the Administrative Litigation Division of the Taipei District Court ruled regarding the "March 24 Executive Yuan Violent Eviction Incident" that the Taipei City Government should bear liability for the injuries inflicted upon Teacher Lin Ming-hui by police officers. This case became final as the Taipei City Government chose not to appeal. This judgment also marks the first victory for citizens holding the state accountable for violence in the nearly 20 months since the March 24 incident.

However, despite a prior definitive ruling from the Taipei District Court, the Taipei City Government Police Department recently issued identical rejection letters to 31 citizens who subsequently filed for state compensation settlement claims, refusing to accept them. The pro bono legal team expresses deep regret over this outcome and issues the following statement:

1. According to the aforementioned ruling by the Administrative Litigation Division of the Taipei District Court concerning the March 24 Executive Yuan protest, the Taipei City Government holds the authority and responsibility to decide whether to disperse protests within its jurisdiction, as well as the methods, extent, and scope of such dispersal. Even if orders and command came from the central government, the Taipei City Government cannot shirk its supervisory responsibility and must bear compensation liability for acts of excessive law enforcement.
2. Yet, regarding subsequent compensation claims, the Taipei City Police Department has used unrelated reasons—such as asserting that the assembly was unlawful—to summarily cover up the fact that police officers exercised excessive force during the dispersal process, and has refused to negotiate state compensation claims with the victimized citizens. This is clearly an act of evading responsibility and runs counter to the aforementioned judgment.
3. Throughout the investigation of the "March 24 Executive Yuan Violent Eviction Incident," the police have continuously stalled and evaded the court's official requests to provide information on the police officers involved, effectively shielding the violent acts of the police on March 24. Now, by summarily refusing the victimized citizens' requests for state compensation settlement, they have further laid bare their lack of introspection regarding excessive law enforcement, which clearly falls short of the expectations that a democratic state governed by the rule of law should hold for police operations.
4. The pro bono legal team will file state compensation lawsuits within the statutory deadlines and hopes that the judicial authorities will grant victimized citizens a fair and just adjudication.

Attachments

1. Taipei City Police Department Reply Letter - 1
2. Taipei City Police Department Reply Letter - 2
3. Taipei City Police Department Reply Letter - 3

Contact Person for the Pro Bono Lawyers' Platform

Ting Yu-cheng, Executive Secretary of the Judicial Reform Foundation 02-2523-1178#20