JRF Newsletter
April Newsletter | The Death of a Judge: When Will the Judicial Burden Be Alleviated?
Last edited: 2026-07-27
April Judicial Reform Review
An Overworked Judicial Environment: What Are the Judicial Yuan and Ministry of Justice's Solutions?——Press Conference on the Citizen Version of the "Draft Act for Alleviating Judicial Burdens"
Recently, frequent issues involving the overwork of judicial officers and court clerks have once again drawn widespread public attention to the problem of excessive judicial burdens. With a surge in cases accepted by courts and prosecutors' offices, judicial officers are bogged down in paperwork and falling ill from overwork, while court clerks, bailiffs, and other personnel are leaving due to unbearable workloads. The current judicial environment is clearly unconducive to judicial personnel fully performing their duties, while directly impacting the public's right to litigation.
We urge the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice, aside from advocating for increased manpower, to actively promote a "subtractive approach" (reducing unnecessary burdens). Without impairing public rights, they should streamline procedures and reduce non-essential work to improve the working environment for judges and prosecutors. Regarding the direction of alleviating judicial burdens, our Foundation puts forward the following three demands:
1. The Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice should actively promote a "subtractive approach" to reduce unreasonable burdens on judges and prosecutors.
2. The Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice should use objective research methods to analyze the state of judicial overwork and make relevant reports and improvement measures public.
3. Presidents of various courts and chief prosecutors of prosecutors' offices should actively improve working environments plagued by "inequitable distribution of labor" and "overworking the capable."
As early as 2020, the Judicial Reform Foundation established the "Special Amendment Group for Enhancing Judicial Quality and Alleviating Judicial Burdens," continuously inviting judges, prosecutors, practicing lawyers, and experts and scholars to participate in discussions. In January 2022, we released the draft recommendations for "Alleviating Judicial Burdens and Enhancing Judicial Quality," proposing 7 plans. Recently, we have added 3 more plans, hoping to serve as a modest spur to prompt the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice to face up to the importance and necessity of alleviating judicial burdens, and to swiftly propose improvement measures and planning.
➤ Press Release: "An Overworked Judicial Environment: What Are the Judicial Yuan and Ministry of Justice's Solutions?"
➤ Full Text of Statement: "The Death of a Judge: When Will the Judicial Burden Be Alleviated?"
➤ Citizen Version of the Draft Articles for "Alleviating Judicial Burdens and Enhancing Judicial Quality"
Ten O'Clock Legal Forum⟢
"Legal Forum Judicial Reform Current Affairs" Judicial Personnel Are Overworked! Law Enforcement Is Tending to Exhaustion and Cases Are Piling Up: How to Alleviate Judicial Burdens?
Recently, two judges fell from buildings consecutively and fell into comas, and a court clerk passed away due to illness. With judicial overwork issues frequently arising, "alleviating judicial burdens" is undeniably an urgent issue.
This episode of the Legal Forum explores what vicious cycle judicial overwork actually causes, and how to implement "alleviating judicial burdens" without compromising the public's judicial rights.
Video Highlights:
📍Just how busy are judicial personnel?
📍What kind of problems does judicial overwork cause, and what does it have to do with the public?
📍What are the solutions proposed by the Judicial Reform Foundation?
Over the past two to three years, the Judicial Reform Foundation has consistently focused on the problem of excessive judicial burdens. The issue of "alleviating judicial burdens" is not merely a slogan; rather, it is intended to ease the heavy work pressure on judicial organs and, while safeguarding the public's right to litigation, to protect and elevate judicial quality.
We have successively proposed potential solutions and made strong calls for the state to attach importance to this issue. The sound operation of the judiciary is the foundation of a rule-of-law society; only with sound judicial quality can we protect human rights and gain the public's trust.
Lo Ming-ts'un Case Volunteer Team Recruitment
The Helplessness and Despair of an Innocent Person Plunged into the Abyss｜Reopening and Recruitment for the Lo Ming-ts'un Case Volunteer Team
Lo Ming-ts'un, former head of the criminal investigation division at the Xinzhuang Police Precinct, was accused of accepting bribes. Following multiple trials, he was ultimately sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2009. Lo Ming-ts'un has consistently proclaimed his innocence and was diagnosed with cancer while serving his sentence. Following an evaluation by the I-lan Prison medical team, he was approved for medical parole in August 2021. Lo Ming-ts'un repeatedly filed for extraordinary appeals and retrials, all of which were dismissed. While Lo Ming-ts'un's case has yet to be vindicated, I-lan Prison recently refused his application to extend his medical parole on the grounds that his medical condition had improved. The numerous flaws and controversies in this case should have prompted a high degree of vigilance and meticulous review by judicial organs, yet the Supreme Court chose to ignore these important doubts, upholding a judgment plagued by major judicial errors. The defense counsel team expresses deep disappointment regarding the Supreme Court's dismissal of their appeal. The defense team will continue to pursue all possible extraordinary legal remedies to fight for Lo Ming-ts'un's innocence. We welcome all partners concerned about this case to join the volunteer team, assist in the rescue efforts for this case, and care for Lo Ming-ts'un's situation. Fill out the form to join the volunteer team for this case!
📍Project Details:
1. Organization of litigation materials, including organizing case files and re-evaluating disputed evidence.
2. Planning of social advocacy strategies and events, and corresponding with Lo Ming-ts'un via letters.
📍Project Timeline: Starting May 2024, lasting six months to one year (specific stages are negotiable)
📍Recruitment Quota: Unlimited (Meetings will mostly take place in person at the Taipei office, but some can be conducted via online meetings)
📍Contact Person: Ch'en Kuan-chen, Legal Specialist, Judicial Reform Foundation
📍Telephone: 02-2523-1178 #21
May Event Preview.ᐟ.ᐟ
➤ Taichung Exhibition
⭐ "Beyond the Abyss—On the Path of Wrongful Conviction Rescue"
Dates ｜ 2024/03/01 (Friday) ～ 2024/11/30 (Saturday)
Hours ｜ Tuesday to Friday 14:00-20:00; Saturday 11:00-17:00
Closed ｜ Sundays, Mondays, and National Holidays
Location ｜ Taichung Office, Judicial Reform Foundation (No. 845, Sec. 2, Taiwan Blvd., Xitun Dist., Taichung City)
[Click to Reserve a Visit]
➤ Student Camp
⭐ Beyond the Abyss: Soaring to the Sun ｜ 2024 Summer Student Camp
Dates ｜ 2024/07/15 (Monday) ～ 07/17 (Wednesday)
Location ｜ Taichung Municipal Taichung Girls' Senior High School (No. 95, Sec. 1, Ziyou Rd., West Dist., Taichung City)
Target Participants ｜
120 senior high and vocational school students nationwide (recent graduates should register as high school students)
30 college and university students nationwide
Fee ｜ Completely Free
Registration ｜ Registration closes on 05/31 (Friday) at 22:00; admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
[Click to Register for Camp]
➤ Court Observation
⭐ Court Observation Recruitment ｜ The Ch'iu Sung-ch'eng Case: A Knife-Wielding Murder Case Without a Knife
Time ｜ 2024/05/09 (Thursday) 14:15
Location ｜ Courtroom 6, Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch Court (2F, No. 586, Mincheng 3rd Rd., Gushan Dist., Kaohsiung City)
[Click to Register for Court Observation]
➤ Judicial Reform Community College
⭐ What Does the Judiciary Have to Do with Me? Screening and Discussion of the Film "12 Angry Men"
Time ｜ 2024/05/06 (Monday) 19:00-21:30
Location ｜ Yonghe Community College (No. 71, Yongli Rd., Yonghe Dist., New Taipei City)
Speaker ｜ Yang Hsiu-hui / Attorney-at-Law
[Click to Register for Screening]
⭐ A Hundred Puzzling Cases, You Decide ── What Does the Judiciary Have to Do with Me?
Time ｜ 2024/05/13 (Monday) 19:00-21:50
Location ｜ National Central Library Taiwan Branch (No. 85, Zhongan St., Zhonghe Dist., New Taipei City)
Moderator ｜ Ch'en Hsin-ts'ung / Former PTS News Department Host, Current Manager of CTS New Media Department
Discussant ｜ Ch'en Szu-fan / Judge
Discussant ｜ Lü Cheng-yen / Attorney-at-Law, Director of Legal Policy Department, Judicial Reform Foundation
[Click to Register for Lecture]
This article is an AI-generated translation of the original Chinese text. In the event of any discrepancy, the Chinese version shall prevail.