Sidelights | 2025 Taipei International Book Exhibition: Su Chien-ho on Judicial Human Rights and Myself

Su Chien-ho was imprisoned in 1991 at the age of 19 due to a criminal case. He was sentenced to death with finality in 1995, granted a retrial in 2000, acquitted on the spot in 2003, and finally officially exonerated in 2012. This 21-year ordeal of wrongful imprisonment caused immense physical and psychological trauma. Following his release, despite facing financial hardship and poor health, he persevered through sheer willpower. Currently, Su works at the Judicial Reform Foundation, focusing on human rights work and judicial reform.

Overcoming Difficulties—The Power of Reading

Su Chien-ho was detained in the Shilin Detention Center for eleven and a half years, followed by another eleven years in the Taipei Detention Center. Throughout these long years, he was treated practically as a prisoner, even though he had not yet been formally convicted. Even phone calls with his defense attorneys were restricted to a mere six minutes per month. Particularly during the five years of retrial proceedings, he lived every day in fear of impending execution.

Faced with extreme psychological pressure, Su primarily coped with negative emotions through reading and zoning out. He finished at least one book every day while in prison, broadly exploring manga, religion, philosophy, and science. Reading became his spiritual pillar, helping him find inner solace in the darkness. Having a strong interest in nature and science ever since graduating from Mu-Cha Vocational High School at 19, he continued his studies after release and ultimately earned a master's degree.

The Necessity of Judicial Reform

The key to determining whether a miscarriage of justice has occurred lies in whether the evidence has been thoroughly investigated. Regardless of social status or background, anyone can become a victim of wrongful imprisonment. For example, the already-executed Lu Cheng case and the Lo Ming-ts'un case currently being assisted by the Judicial Reform Foundation both involve instances where police officers were wrongly accused.

In death penalty cases, it is imperative to ensure that all evidence has been thoroughly investigated. However, many wrongful convictions fall short of this. For instance, in the Chiou Ho-shun case, significant ambiguities remain regarding the evidence, and the confessions are suspected of stemming from torture. Furthermore, in the Lu Cheng case, the shoelace used to strangle the victim was never subjected to biological testing, leaving the entire case riddled with doubts. Yet, under torture, Lu was forced to confess and was executed within a year. His family continues to campaign for his exoneration to this day.

Taiwan's courts receive nearly three million civil and criminal cases each year, yet there are only 2,200 judges, averaging 150 cases per judge per month. It is difficult to attend to every detail, which is one of the reasons why wrongful convictions frequently occur. Currently, the exoneration of wrongful convictions relies primarily on retrials and extraordinary appeals. A retrial procedure for acquittals was introduced in 2017, providing another avenue of relief for victims of miscarriages of justice.

The Plight of Wrongful Conviction Victims

After Su Chien-ho's acquittal became final in 2012, he was barred from leaving the country in 2014 because his criminal record had not been expunged. He had to apply to clear his record himself. During the 21 years of protracted litigation, his father passed away, and his family accumulated massive debts due to the ongoing legal battles. He himself suffered from poor health resulting from torture endured in prison.

To his dismay, on the very day of his release, the National Taxation Bureau still called to demand NT$170,000 in back taxes accumulated during the litigation period. Fortunately, the Association for Human Education raised NT$200,000 to help him through the crisis. However, financial issues were not the only challenge. Upon release, Su faced not only livelihood difficulties but also discriminatory looks from society. Some harbor biases against victims of wrongful convictions, believing that suspicion still lingers even after exoneration. Such stigmatization makes it even harder for Su to reintegrate into society.

In addition, prolonged imprisonment caused severe psychological trauma. He needed time to adapt to free life, yet the judicial system provided no psychological counseling or support. Compared to the protection and assistance afforded to crime victims, victims of wrongful convictions are virtually forgotten after exoneration, lacking institutional aid. Meanwhile, judicial authorities have neither publicly apologized nor paid compensation to the victims of these miscarriages of justice.

In contrast to Su's experience, after Hsü Tzu-chiang's wrongful conviction was overturned, the Judicial Reform Foundation assigned a specialist to help him through his most difficult period. While commendable, such support must be vigorously promoted to ensure that more victims of wrongful convictions can receive necessary support and assistance.

Supporting and Caring for Judicial Reform

Su Chien-ho reminds everyone to make good use of resources to protect their own rights and interests. Currently, the Legal Aid Foundation provides free legal consultations and pro bono attorney services. During the initial stage of interrogation, individuals have the right to request free assistance regardless of their status or background. However, subsequent litigation services are subject to asset eligibility conditions.

Thanks to multifaceted efforts, Taiwan's judiciary has gradually moved closer to science-based investigations and has gained a certain level of international recognition. Nevertheless, hundreds of wrongful convictions still occur every year. Judicial reform still has ample room for improvement and urgently requires society to jointly monitor and promote it.

Conclusion

Su Chien-ho's experience not only demonstrates personal resilience but also reminds society of the importance of judicial reform. By paying attention to wrongful convictions, supporting judicial reform organizations, and promoting institutional improvements, can we move toward true judicial justice and provide better safeguards for every potential victim of a miscarriage of justice.