The JRF Through My Eyes: Reflections of a 2017 Summer Intern

Staying at the JRF really taught me a lot. Before this internship, I would say the world I saw was very narrow. All I did was ruminate over the meaning of textbook texts, figure out the constituent elements of statutory provisions, and understand their legal consequences. For instance, when lectures covered statements under oath or motions for reinvestigation, professors might simply explain their definitions and uses. But here, what we might do is check whether there were procedural issues with taking the oath or whether there was a legal basis for the reinvestigation. It feels more like applying legal concepts practically.

And I simply have to mention the RCA case. Actually, there were many cases I had never even heard of before joining the JRF, such as the cases of Hsu Tzu-chiang (徐自強), Su Chien-ho (蘇建和), Chiou Ho-shun (邱和順), Cheng Hsing-tse (鄭性澤), and Chiang Kuo-ching (江國慶). I feel these also represent a kind of accumulation of practical experience. At school, I listened to various theoretical schools of thought and occasionally went to court to observe trials, but being here brought me even closer to the judicial system than trial observation did.

The aforementioned cases weren't just a few stories for me to listen to and let go of; they actually had a significant impact on me. The most direct impact was on my perspective regarding the death penalty. Originally, I firmly believed in the existence of the death penalty because through news media, all I saw were undeniably bad people. However, if everyone has heard of or searched for the cases mentioned above, these cases showed me that what we often see are innocent individuals labeled as bad people. From the perspective of the JRF, I witnessed things I had never heard of or encountered before, which gave me new insights and doubts about the death penalty. Of course, this varies from person to person. The things I saw might seem rather abstract to others and might not be fully understood, so I hope everyone can respect each other's positions. As for my own views on the death penalty, I hope to continue exploring them through my journey at the JRF.

To put it bluntly, coming here means engaging with people. Unlike school, where you only deal with books, here you learn how to organize cases, structure and connect issues, disputes, and loopholes. Throughout this process, you have to interact with a massive number of people. I've met complainants—and had to learn to separate personal emotions from the facts of a case (though there was one time I couldn't help crying along with them). It was also thanks to the Intake and Complaint Center that I had the opportunity to discuss and analyze case facts with forensic pathologists and experts from various fields. Actually, as these experiences accumulate bit by bit, even if your legal knowledge doesn't increase drastically, watching everyone strive and fight for the ideals they firmly believe in will rub off on you if you stay long enough!

Originally I was just an aimless, uninteresting ordinary college student, but because I came to the JRF, for the first time I felt like I had a soul. I clearly knew and believed that everything I was doing was meaningful. I learned how to look at legal cases and invest in myself in different ways, and here I achieved a better version of myself. I think these feelings and takeaways are things only the JRF could give me.

If everything mentioned above is still not enough to express what I want to convey, then come join us. Come experience this new world I've seen. Nothing happens if you don't do it, but doing it changes everything!