Statement by the Judicial Reform Foundation on the Legislative Yuan's Exercise of the Consent Power for the Prosecutor-General

The Legislative Yuan exercised its consent power for the Prosecutor-General today, approving the nomination of Prosecutor-General nominee Mr. Chen Tsung-ming with 126 votes in favor. Regarding the Legislative Yuan's review process for this personnel appointment, the JRF offers several observations and recommendations, alongside several statements regarding the voting result as follows:

First, this Foundation highly affirms the opposition parties for fulfilling their supervisory duties. In addition to holding public hearings and widely inviting members of society to facilitate discussions on the Prosecutor-General personnel case, they also established a review committee—convened by legislators Joanna Lei and Kao Su-po —which thoroughly recorded the questioning process and subsequently produced a review report. Such substantive scrutiny, rather than a mere formality, serves as an exemplary reference for the Legislative Yuan's substantive review of personnel consent powers in the future.

Second, regarding the newly appointed Prosecutor-General, Mr. Chen Tsung-ming, while this Foundation will continue to observe and supervise his actions, we urge Prosecutor-General Chen to promptly clarify the doubts raised by legislators during the Legislative Yuan review sessions. Furthermore, we hope he recognizes the public's high expectations for the Prosecutor-General, strives to keep himself free from any lobbying or personal connections, and truly translates public expectations into high standards of personal integrity and conduct.

Third, regarding the widely watched "Special Investigation Division" mechanism—specifically its duties, jurisdiction allocation, and personnel setup—all of these require the wisdom and commitment of the new Prosecutor-General. We particularly expect Prosecutor-General Chen to live up to the benevolent legislative intent behind the newly established "Special Investigation Division" under the Court Organization Act. Under his leadership, the Special Investigation Division should prosecute, deter, and ultimately eradicate special major corruption, economic crimes, and other major offenses that jeopardize social order, thereby safeguarding the long-term peace and stability of our society and its people.

Finally, our expectation for Prosecutor-General Chen is that, given the Prosecutor-General's monopoly on the right to petition for extraordinary appeals, making our extraordinary appeal system more systematic is indeed the Prosecutor-General's unshakable responsibility. Based on the principle of prosecutorial unity, and considering that prosecutors possess a special independence distinct from ordinary administrative officials, how the Prosecutor-General strikes a balance between "unity" and "independence" requires the experience and wisdom of the new Prosecutor-General. We hope that Prosecutor-General Chen will not underestimate the difficulty of maintaining this delicate balance, and that he will exercise caution and prudence—like walking on thin ice or near a deep abyss—to lead our nation's overall prosecutorial system and earn greater public trust and respect for prosecutors.