JRF Newsletter
Waiting 20 Years: Hoping for Justice to Arrive and Hsu Tze-Chiang's Innocence
Last edited: 2026-08-29
Dear friends,
The ninth retrial of the Hsu Tze-Chiang case will deliver its verdict at 11:00 AM on September 1. Summer interns at the JRF produced this newsletter to share their reflections on participating in the Hsu case, organized a series of events leading up to the verdict, and invited all friends who have cared about the Hsu case over the past 20 years to stand together and send positive energy for Hsu Tze-Chiang.
On August 6, 2015, at the conclusion of the oral argument proceedings in the ninth retrial of the Hsu Tze-Chiang case, the judge asked, "Hsu Tze-Chiang, is there anything else you would like to say?" Hsu Tze-Chiang paused for a moment and replied, "No." It was not that Hsu Tze-Chiang truly had nothing to say, but rather that, seeing the tired expression on the judge's face, he felt empathy for the exhaustion of this grueling litigation.
After twenty years of intertwined litigation, unexpressed inner thoughts could no longer carry the weight. Hsu Tze-Chiang used his weathered face to express the deepest yearning of these past years: he longed for an unburdened latter half of his life, to cast off the lawsuits hanging over him and return to his initial, carefree, and innocent days. He wanted to hold onto his mother's embrace, fulfilling his unfinished filial duties in the warmest of sanctuaries. Regrets exist; although he missed his son's growing years, he does not want to miss any future moments of family joy in the life ahead, because his family is Hsu Tze-Chiang's strongest pillar of support, allowing him to walk step by step to where he is today.
People often ask Hsu Tze-Chiang whether he still holds faith in the judiciary. He always replies, "I believe in people; people can change, so I have great faith in people, and I no longer harbor resentment." These shifts in sentiment did not happen suddenly; rather, through the litigation process, he came into contact with different people and witnessed the most benevolent side of human nature, leading him to willingly unseal his closed heart and embark on the path of pursuing justice.
As a student double-majoring in Political Science and Law at Soochow University who interned at the JRF during the summer vacation, I participated in the final few court hearings of the ninth retrial of the Hsu Tze-Chiang case. I saw the Judicial Yuan establish a technological courtroom to make the disputed points of the case easier to distinguish; I saw the presiding judges willing to schedule additional court dates to give lawyers sufficient time to point out doubts one by one; I saw the prosecutor accept the inconsistencies in the co-defendant's statements pointed out by the lawyers, thereby concentrating the controversies of the case. These are all advancements in the external forms of justice, and what I want to see next is the substantive internal advancement of the judiciary. During the trial, the prosecutor still failed to present direct evidence of Hsu Tze-Chiang's guilt; pursuant to the principle of the presumption of innocence, the court ought to rule Hsu Tze-Chiang innocent. If the court can genuinely uphold and steadfastly adhere to the principle of the presumption of innocence in its judgment, then Hsu Tze-Chiang can receive the gavel strike of justice and shake off a 20-year nightmare. Only this would constitute substantive progress, and only then can trust between the people and the courts be established!
The oral argument proceedings of the ninth retrial will have their verdict announced on 9/1. I hope that after the verdict is delivered that day, when the judge asks Hsu Tze-Chiang if he has anything else to say, he will reply, "No, because I am very satisfied!"
【Event Page】Countdown to the 9th Retrial Verdict: Give Hsu Tze-Chiang a Pat on the Back
Video Credit / Public Television Service, Independent Correspondent Episode 410
Listen to the Verdict Together with Hsu Tze-chiang | 9/1 (Tue) 11:00 @ Taiwan High Court
Facing the verdict on September 1, Hsu Tze-Chiang's feelings are nervous and complex. We have planned a series of activities, including a Hsu Tze-Chiang prison cell model experience, a 20-year retrospective exhibition of the Hsu Tze-Chiang case, a blessing concert, and an action to accompany Hsu Tze-Chiang in listening to the verdict, hoping to accompany him through this period of waiting for justice. We invite everyone to wear the "I am Hsu Tze-Chiang +1" T-shirt, come forward to cheer for Hsu Tze-Chiang, and jointly pray for the early realization of judicial justice.
| Time | Content | Location |
| 8/22 (Sat) 08:30~17:00 | Hsu Tze-Chiang Prison Cell Model—Wrongful Imprisonment Experience Exhibition Symposium on Wrongful Conviction Relief and New Retrial Systems |
In front of the International Conference Hall, Lン-Tse Hall, College of Law, National Taiwan University |
| 8/23 (Sun) 13:00~18:00 | ||
| 8/29 (Sat) 10:00~17:00 | 20-Year Retrospective Exhibition of the Hsu Tze-chiang Case
|
Chi-Nan Presbyterian Church (No. 3, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City) |
| 8/30 (Sun) 13:00~18:00 | ||
| 9/1 (Tue) 09:30~12:00 | Listen to the Verdict Together with Hsu Tze-chiang 11:00 @ High Court |
Gather at Chi-Nan Presbyterian Church at 09:30, then walk to the Taiwan High Court at 10:10 |
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.