Judges Who Lack Self-Respect Fail the Public Trust! The Judges Act Cannot Wait Any Longer! Press Conference

Former Taiwan High Court Presiding Judge Fang A-sheng was detained yesterday (the 23rd) by the Panchiao District Court on suspicion of accepting bribes while in office. In addition, Peng Yung-chang, a former Taipei District Prosecutors Office clerk who transitioned to become an attorney, was also detained in connection with the same case. Witnessing yet another major judicial integrity scandal, the JRF expresses profound anger and calls upon the public to jointly demand a thorough investigation by the Judicial Yuan to weed out all bad apples! Furthermore, to deal with these "students who cannot be failed," the Judges Act must be swiftly passed to provide proper regulation!

Over the decade since the JRF engaged in judicial reform, we have consistently believed that judicial integrity was indeed improving. However, beginning last year, numerous major judicial integrity scandals have erupted continuously, dealing consecutive heavy blows to public trust in the judiciary and bringing it practically to its knees. Seeing so many judicial officials engaging in corruption and lawbreaking, the adage "money buys life, no money buys death" is bound to be etched into the people's minds once again. The reform achievements of many years will be washed down the drain, leaving the judiciary with no face to confront the public!

Comparing this to the statement made by Mr. Yang Jen-shou, President of the Commission on the Disciplinary Sanctions of Functionaries, in the Judicial Weekly on February 26 regarding a Japanese judge who was deemed "unfit for reappointment" and barred from serving again merely because his "grounds for judgment were overly brief, showing no improvement despite repeated admonitions": Looking at our own system, does it not seem a bit too "friendly" to judges? While the majority of the people must be constantly on edge at their workplaces, the job security of judges is truly heavenly: A judge orchestrates a "dramatic reversal" to acquit a defendant who had been severely convicted seven times, causing an "uproar" in the legal community, yet is merely punished by being "relieved of concurrent duties as presiding judge"? Sensing trouble, they hastily apply for retirement, walk away with a generous pension, and even if corruption and unlawful acts are proven, their pension cannot be recovered, allowing them to "comfortably enjoy" their twilight years using the blood, sweat, and tears of the people? A judge receives a grade of "C" on their performance evaluation for three consecutive years, yet the Judicial Yuan is "helpless and unable to eliminate them"? To make matters worse, they can even "retire" and become attorneys, while the bar association is "powerless" to refuse them, continuing to "benefit" the judicial system?

The JRF has always maintained that "condoning corrupt and sloppy judges is tantamount to ignoring conscientious judges"! Particularly to the judges of the High Court: we truly cannot fathom why you are not angry. Especially the Criminal Division (good grief, located in the very same building as the Judicial Yuan!), is often regarded as the “greatest source of malpractice” in judicial discipline. Its colleagues also seem remarkably “generous” in allowing things to go wrong time and again. Surely this is intolerable. One can hardly believe that not a single judge has found this unbearable enough to take steps toward self examination and self reflection. Aside from pinning our hopes on the self-purification and self-reflection of judges, the Judges Act truly cannot wait any longer. If there are no even preliminary regulations governing the selection, supervision, and ouster of judges, and when facing incompetent judicial officials we remain completely numb, indifferent, unclear, at a loss, and utterly powerless, such a judicial system is truly exasperating and disheartening...!

Furthermore, we solemnly call upon the Judicial Yuan to root out and severely punish all bad apples! The four words "collective bribery" are truly like a lead weight tied to the judiciary, dragging all judicial personnel down, down, down. Unable to speak out in defense, choking the moment they open their mouths, in total asphyxiation—if other co-conspiratorial structures truly still exist within the courts, we call upon judicial colleagues in the know, apart from disdaining to wallow in the same mire, to have the courage to report them and "uphold righteousness even if it means sacrificing one's own family"! To borrow judicial parlance, society is actually weary of the "heartbroken" acts put on by judicial heads; what everyone wants to see is the emergence of actions that can truly make people feel "gratified."

Judicial heads, colleagues, citizens—please speak out with us! Otherwise, silent acquiescence will only lead us to share in today's collective disgrace!