December E-paper | Old Dreams and Sparks Never Extinguish, Moving Forward Along the Faint Light

The Legislative Yuan exercised the power of consent for grand justice appointments on December 24. The voting result showed that none of the seven nominees passed the review. This outcome not only leaves the crucial vacancies for the President and Vice President of the Judicial Yuan as well as grand justices vacant indefinitely, but further reveals a major crisis in the operation of the constitutional system.

During the exercise of this consent power, the infighting among legislative caucuses once again highlighted the structural problems facing our constitutional system. Most legislators failed to examine the nominees' professionalism and moral character in accordance with the constitutional spirit and the philosophy of human rights protection; instead, they expressed party stances through collective voting, leading to the blanket rejection of all seven nominees. This operational approach prevents the Legislative Yuan from fully exercising its review function as a constitutional organ and reduces the checks-and-balances mechanism designed by the Constitution to mere formality.

It must be particularly pointed out that at this critical juncture, the operation of the Constitutional Court is facing the risk of collapse. With the Legislative Yuan's recent passage of amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act, the relevant provisions not only fail to resolve the loopholes in the current system, but may also paralyze the Constitutional Court in its adjudication of key cases. The amendments changed the regulations regarding the scope of case acceptance and review procedures without providing corresponding systemic supporting measures, thereby intensifying the internal operational pressure within the Constitutional Court. In the absence of a President of the Judicial Yuan, judicial leadership is unable to effectively promote concrete reform plans or respond to external doubts and expectations regarding the new system.

Furthermore, the President and Vice President of the Judicial Yuan shoulder critical responsibilities in advancing judicial reform, and their failure to take office undoubtedly exerts adverse impacts on the stability and future development of the judicial system. Under the current judicial system, major issues such as alleviating the judicial burden, reforming the Citizen Judges Act, enhancing digital investigation capabilities, and improving judicial personnel appointments all require the leadership and coordination of judicial heads. An acting president, lacking formal authorization, can hardly promote comprehensive reforms nor assume responsibility for the success or failure of the judicial reform process.

The operation of the constitutional system cannot be allowed to stall, and the advancement of judicial reform must not be delayed. We will continue to monitor relevant processes and work together with all sectors of society, hoping to bring Taiwan's judicial operations back on track and allow our hard-won democracy to move forward steadily.

➤ Further Reading:

• "Where is the Irrational Opposition Alliance Leading Taiwan?" Statement by the Judicial Reform Foundation Strongly Condemning the Deteriorating Amendments to the Constitutional Court Procedure Act
• "Parties in the Legislative Yuan Should Allow Legislators to Vote Independently and Not Let Judicial Reform Stall!" Statement by the JRF in Response to the Replies of Nominees for the President and Vice President of the Judicial Yuan
• "Party Will Precedes All, How Much Longer Must the Judiciary Be Held Hostage?" Statement by the Judicial Reform Foundation Regarding the Legislative Yuan's Exercise of the Power of Consent for Grand Justice Appointments

At the end of 2024, the Judicial Reform Foundation officially moved out of the Sungchiang Office that had accompanied us for over twenty years. Carrying feelings of reluctance, we will hold a farewell party. Admission is free on the day, group photos will be taken every hour, and simple refreshments will be provided.

In addition to inviting partners who usually participate in judicial reform work, we also invite supporters of the JRF to come together to look back and bid farewell to this space full of memories. Attendees on that day will receive limited-edition Year of the Snake red envelopes. We encourage arriving early as they are available while supplies last, and we wish everyone prosperity in the Year of the Snake!

✦ Time ｜ January 17, 2025 (Friday) 17:00–20:00
✦ Location ｜ Former Site of the JRF Northern Office (7F., No. 3, Lane 90, Sungchiang Rd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City)

Notes ｜

＊Only simple refreshments will be prepared on site. Headcounts were not taken, so to avoid wasting food, there will be no bento boxes.
＊There is no fixed entry time on the day; everyone is welcome to come freely when they have time. Those attending an annual year-end banquet in the evening are welcome to come earlier. You are also welcome to arrange for your important partners at the JRF to arrive around the same time.
＊A signature banner for mementos will be prepared on site, along with some small lucky bags (antiques sorted out during the move...), which can be obtained through donations.
＊Group photos will be taken every hour, but there will be many photographers on site, so feel free to cue a photo whenever you see someone.
＊Jien-Ho will prepare judicial reform riddles, though their fun factor cannot be guaranteed ( ‧᷄ὢ‧᷅ )

Everyone has worked hard at the end of the year. Welcome to gather together, Happy New Year 𓆙

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the JRF. On the path of pursuing fairness and justice, we greatly need your opinions.

We sincerely invite you to spend two minutes filling out the questionnaire. We will randomly draw "10" lucky respondents from those who complete the questionnaire to receive our treasured archival copy of "Rescuing the Defendant: A Combat Manual for Lawyers at Police Stations"! This book was co-authored by the Legal Aid Foundation, the Judicial Reform Foundation, the Taiwan Bar Association, and the Taipei Bar Association. Pooling the efforts of dozens of lawyers and scholars through their own experiences and dozens of meetings, they distilled a concise and practical manual that is well worth collecting!

The thoughts and blessings you leave behind may also be used in our 30th-anniversary exhibition. Your feedback and suggestions will make our blueprint for judicial reform even more complete!

＊Please fill in a correct email address. Lottery winners will be contacted via your provided E-mail regarding delivery methods. Thank you!

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