Expectations for the New Minister of Justice

Following Hsieh Chang-t'ing's confirmation to form a cabinet, he has been consulting candidates for cabinet positions. According to news reports, today (the 27th) in the afternoon, it was confirmed that Deputy Minister Shih Mao-lin will be promoted to Minister of Justice. Regarding this personnel arrangement, the Judicial Reform Foundation (hereinafter JRF) believes that Minister Shih Mao-lin is indeed a suitable candidate for the position, and the JRF also wishes to express its specific expectations for the new Minister of Justice.

First, the reform of the prosecutor system is an urgent and critical issue. Whether it is the method of selecting the Prosecutor-General, how to establish the boundaries between the unity of prosecutors and prosecutorial independence, or even how to motivate grassroots prosecutors to proactively investigate cases of public interest rather than being constrained by evaluation cultures—these issues demand immediate attention. Therefore, the JRF hopes that after taking office, Minister Shih Mao-lin will not only continue to fulfill the unfulfilled commitments of former Minister Ch'en Ting-nan's tenure, but also dedicate effort to the comprehensive reform of the prosecutor system, referencing suggestions proposed by non-governmental judicial reform organizations to truly achieve cultural reform within the prosecutor system.

Second, the JRF also strongly expects Minister Shih Mao-lin to pay attention to comprehensive reforms, which include related operations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, such as prison administration, corrections, juvenile protection, parole, the Attorney Regulation Act, legal education, and the abolition of the death penalty. Because legal work encompasses more than just the reform of the prosecutor system, including other grassroots legal administrative work, the reform of overall legal administration is also an expectation the JRF holds for the new Minister of Justice.

Furthermore, Minister Shih Mao-lin originates from the technocratic system and is the first Minister of Justice with a prosecutorial background in 16 years. To avoid stereotypes of being conservative and old-fashioned, as well as the limitations of only seeing problems from within the system, the JRF believes that Minister Shih Mao-lin should actively engage with non-governmental judicial reform organizations and listen to external advice on judicial reform. Only then can he truly understand the crux of the issues and propose comprehensive solutions.

Based on the above points, non-governmental judicial reform organizations will soon pay a visit to Minister Shih Mao-lin. In addition to communicating and expressing the demands of civil society, it is our sincere hope that Minister Shih Mao-lin will embrace public opinions and demonstrate the resolve and courage needed for judicial reform.