NGOs for Judicial Reform Express Opposition to Wu Ying-chao's Appointment as Prosecutor-General

Incumbent Prosecutor-General Lu Jen-fa of the Supreme Prosecutors Office is set to retire on September 1. According to news reports, President Ch'en Shui-bian has internally decided to appoint Wu Ying-chao, Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors Office, as his successor. In response to these rumors, relevant civil judicial reform organizations have voiced their opposition, hoping that President Ch'en will think twice before making the appointment.

First of all, civil judicial reform organizations must state that there are no personal grievances or past connections between these organizations and Mr. Wu Ying-chao; our evaluation of whether he is fit for the position of Prosecutor-General is strictly based on the merits of the case.

In fact, at the end of July, the Association of Prosecutors Reform conducted a ballot and nominated three candidates for Prosecutor-General: Huang Shih-ming, Prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors Office; Hsieh Wen-ting, Political Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice; and Shih Mao-lin, Chief Prosecutor of the Taipei District Prosecutors Office. Civil judicial reform organizations believe that the results of the Association's ballot ought to be respected. After all, a Prosecutor-General backed by frontline prosecutors can exercise greater determination when undertaking reforms to the prosecutorial system. Chief Prosecutor Wu Ying-chao failed to gain support in this ballot, leading civil judicial reform organizations to hold reservations.

Secondly, looking at Chief Prosecutor Wu Ying-chao's past track record, civil judicial reform organizations believe it lacks breakthrough and pioneering achievements. In other words, Chief Prosecutor Wu is relatively lacking in reformist ideals and may fail to meet public expectations during the process of judicial reform. Especially at a time when many controversial cases remain shrouded in mystery, and the Legislative Yuan has even established a special truth-seeking committee for the March 19 shooting to exercise judicial investigative powers, the question of how to lead prosecutors in rebuilding public confidence and completing the reform of the prosecutorial system becomes all the more critical. Whether Chief Prosecutor Wu can resist pressure and shoulder this heavy responsibility is indeed questionable.

Furthermore, according to feedback from some frontline prosecutors, Chief Prosecutor Wu's reputation was not uniformly positive during his tenure as chief prosecutor at various levels. Civil judicial reform organizations believe that where controversy exists, a more suitable candidate should be sought instead. After all, the Prosecutor-General holds a position of immense power and high office, and it is only natural to demand the highest standards; even a trace of controversy makes the appointment inappropriate.
Based on the above points, civil judicial reform organizations believe that if President Ch'en wishes to demonstrate his determination to carry out judicial reform, he should seek a more suitable candidate. We hope President Ch'en will heed the opinions of civil society.