[First Lecture Welcoming the Year of the Horse] Wandering the Courts for 35 Years: The Injustice and Rescue of the Su Chien-ho Case

Su Chien-ho, Liu Bin-lang, and Chuang Lin-xun were accused of murder in 1991. After a 21-year ordeal stemming from their wrongful convictions, they were finally acquitted by a final judgment in 2012. Yet more than 13 years after their final acquittal, they and their families remain entangled in civil damages litigation. After the Taiwan High Court twice dismissed the plaintiffs' appeals, in 2019 and 2024, the Supreme Court twice vacated the judgments and remanded the cases, in 2020 and 2025.

Since the underlying incident occurred, Su and the other two have been trapped in litigation for 35 years. Su Chien-ho said: "When I was tortured, my younger brother had not even gotten married. Now he is already a grandfather, but I am still stuck in the same place. I hope that, in my lifetime, I will no longer have to keep explaining who I am. Of course, I know that the judiciary today is vastly different from what it was back then. But please don't treat me as if I were invisible. I am still here, and the fact remains that I am still fighting this lawsuit. I keep a low profile, but I am still working hard. I hope everyone can keep working together."

Faced with the unfinished Su case, not only do the three men continue to suffer and feel helpless, but those who have cared about and supported the case for decades are likewise shocked and perplexed. In 1996, at the initiative of organizations including the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), the Judicial Reform Foundation (JRF), and the Humanistic Education Foundation, the Su Case "Death Row Exoneration Campaign" was established. At a time when the Su case remained a death penalty case and the three men faced the risk of execution, human rights organizations continued to advocate on their behalf through street campaigns, international advocacy, institutional reform, research, and other efforts.

This year, we are restarting the Su Case Volunteer Team. As our first lecture of the Year of the Horse and our first Lunar New Year social dialogue event concerning the Su case, we have invited Su Chien-ho to speak in person about his journey through a wrongful conviction that has yet to reach its end. We have also invited Shih Yi-hsiang, a longtime partner from the Taiwan Association for Human Rights who has been involved in efforts to support the Su case for many years, to join the discussion. From the lived experience of a person wrongfully convicted to the efforts of advocates confronting institutional deficiencies, we will examine the difficulties that continue to confront the Su case and explore possible paths forward. In the Year of the Horse, we hope to gather momentum and move the Su case toward resolution.

▋Lecture Time

Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 19:00–21:00

▋Lecture Speakers

Su Chien-ho / Exoneree

Shih Yi-hsiang / Senior Researcher, Taiwan Association for Human Rights

▋Lecture Venue

hiān-lâu tsheh-tiàm
(No. 15, Ln. 70, Sec. 2, Chongqing N. Rd., Datong Dist., Taipei City)

Online Registration

Contact Person

Cai Shangheng ｜ Social Worker

(02) 2523-1178

sean@jrf.org.tw

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This Day in History

On February 9, 1995, the death sentences imposed on Su Chien-ho, Liu Bin-lang, and Chuang Lin-xun became final. Their case would later become Taiwan's first death-penalty wrongful-conviction case to result in exoneration. Civil society subsequently launched a large-scale campaign to secure their exoneration, which also helped drive broader reforms of Taiwan's judicial system.

On January 13, 2003, the Taiwan High Court rendered its judgment in the retrial of the Su case, acquitting all three men and ordering their immediate release in court. It was not until August 31, 2012, following the third retrial proceedings, that the three were again acquitted and the judgment became final.

January 13, 2026, marked the 23rd anniversary of their acquittal and release.

The Su Chien-ho case is currently recruiting volunteers. We invite both new friends who care about the case and old friends who previously participated in supporting it to stand together, consolidate our efforts, and once again help guide the Su case toward the dawn.

➤➤➤ Register for the Su Chien-ho Case "Walking Toward the Dawn" Volunteer Recruitment

Civil Lawsuit Timeline

Date	Event
February 18, 1992	The victims' civil claim for damages, filed as a civil action incidental to the criminal proceedings in Case No. 80-Chong-Su-23 involving violations of the Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry and other offenses, was transferred by ruling from the criminal division to the civil division.
June 14, 2001	The court ordered the civil proceedings stayed until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings in Taiwan High Court Case No. 89-Zai-4.
August 31, 2012	Following the judgment in the third retrial proceedings, all three defendants were finally acquitted. The civil proceedings resumed in 2013.
July 11, 2014	Taiwan Shilin District Court Civil Judgment No. 81-Chong-Su-101 dismissed the plaintiffs' tort claims for damages. Su Chien-ho and the other defendants prevailed.
February 16, 2019	Taiwan High Court Civil Judgment No. 103-Chong-Shang-719 dismissed the plaintiffs' appeal. The defendants again prevailed.
August 26, 2020	Supreme Court Civil Judgment No. 108-Tai-Shang-1437 vacated the judgment and remanded the case, resulting in the first remand unfavorable to the defendants.
October 31, 2024	Taiwan High Court Civil Judgment No. 109-Chong-Shang-Geng-Yi-154 dismissed the plaintiffs' appeal. The defendants again prevailed.
August 21, 2025	Supreme Court Civil Judgment No. 114-Tai-Shang-488 vacated the judgment for a second time and remanded the case, again to the defendants' disadvantage. The case remains pending before the Civil Division of the Taiwan High Court.

In short, in 2014 and 2019, the courts rejected the victim's family members' tort claims for damages against Su Chien-ho, Liu Bin-lang, and Chuang Lin-xun, finding that the three were not required to pay damages. However, in 2020 and 2025, the Civil Division of the Supreme Court twice vacated the judgments and remanded the case to the defendants' disadvantage. The litigation continues to this day...