Legal Aid
As early as 1998, three organizations—the Judicial Reform Foundation, the Taipei Bar Association, and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights—formed an alliance initiated by attorneys Lin Yung-sung (林永頌) and Huang Hsu-t'ien (黃旭田), establishing a promotion task force. Bringing together professionals including attorneys Chang Ping-huang (張炳煌), Cheng Wen-ling (鄭文玲), Ch'iu Huang-ch'üan (邱晃泉), Chu Jui-yang (朱瑞陽), Lin Chung-hung (林重宏), and Hsieh Cheng-ta (謝政達), scholar Professor Wu Chih-kuang (吳志光), National Policy Advisor Mr. Huang Wen-hsiung (黃文雄), and two successive JRF Executive Directors, Wang Shih-ssu (王時思) and Lin Ching-p'ing (林靜萍), the group held regular monthly meetings to study legal systems around the world.
The National Judicial Reform Conference held in July 1999 prior to this also included the enactment of the Legal Aid Act as a key agenda item. Although the JRF did not formally participate, it was even busier than the National Judicial Reform Conference itself!
On March 22, 2000, the Judicial Reform Foundation, the Taipei Bar Association, and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights jointly proposed the "Draft Provisions of the Fundamental Act on Legal Aid (Non-Governmental Version)" and entrusted Legislator Ch'iu T'ai-san (邱太三) to submit the proposal in the Legislative Yuan. The Judicial Yuan also formed a study group on the draft Legal Aid Act on July 1, 2000, and submitted it to the legislature for review in October 2001.
On December 23, 2003, the Legislative Yuan finally passed the "Legal Aid Act" in its third reading. This established the Legal Aid Foundation funded by the state to hire lawyers to assist those in need of aid with lawsuits, altering the unreasonable phenomenon where social inequality caused by class disparities led to inequality in litigation.
In 2010, the Judicial Yuan excessively interfered with the powers of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation, restricted the development of the Legal Aid Foundation through budgeting, and intervened in the personnel appointments of the Board of Directors and the Secretary-General's Office of the Legal Aid Foundation. This threatened to cause the Legal Aid Foundation to lose its independence and fall into bureaucratization, posing a severe impact on civic associations and vulnerable groups. Consequently, over 20 civic groups formed the Alliance to Safeguard Legal Aid to continuously monitor the various operations of legal aid.
In 2015, the Alliance to Safeguard Legal Aid also assisted in promoting amendments to the Legal Aid Act and provided feedback on the draft amendments. In June of the same year, the Legislative Yuan passed the amendments to the Legal Aid Act in its third reading.
2022
Ms. A's Complaint | The Government Has a Duty to Protect the Public from "Fake Legal Aid"
JRF received a complaint from Ms. A and discovered that the "Legal Aid Association of the Republic of China" had…
2022
Protecting the Public from "Fake Legal Aid" Scams Is the Government's Responsibility - Joint Press Conference by JRF, LAF, and the Debt Relief Self-Help Group
JRF received a complaint from Ms. A and discovered that the "Republic of China Legal Aid Association" had purchased…
2019
Protesting the Legal Aid Act Draft that Feigns Means-Testing While Expanding Authority—Joint Statement Opposing Hasty Amendments to the Legal Aid Act
The Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee of the Legislative Yuan reviewed the draft amendments to the…
2018
Joint Statement on the Public Defender System
In response to recent reports in domestic media that the Judicial Yuan intends to increase the number of public…
2013
Lowering the Threshold for Vulnerable Assistance and Strengthening Diverse Support: Demanding a Comprehensive Amendment to the Legal Aid Act
The Legal Aid Foundation was established with government funding to serve disadvantaged groups, overcome economic…
2013
Taiwanese Society's Expectations for the Chairman of LAF
Since its conception in 1998, the Legal Aid Foundation (LAF) has shouldered infinite expectations and entrustments from…
2012
A Question for the Judicial Yuan: Should 'Do-Nothing' Legal Aid Board Members Be Re-Appointed? ~ Demanding a Complete Re-Election of the Directors of the Legal Aid Foundation
The state established the Legal Aid Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Legal Aid Foundation) with the purpose…
2010
Judicial Yuan Taking Full Control of LAF? Press Conference on the Establishment of the "Protect LAF Alliance"
On March 23 this year, the Legal Aid Foundation inaugurated its third board of directors, forming a new leadership team…
2009
We Cannot Do Without You! Disaster Victims and Vulnerable Groups Need Private Legal Aid ~ NGOs Oppose Majority Official Board Seats in the Legal Aid Foundation
The Legal Aid Foundation (LAF) was established through the joint advocacy of legal professionals concerned with the…
2004
Fighting for Dignity and Equality: Extraordinary Appeal Press Conference on the Tsou Tribe's "Honey Incident" in Alishan
The Tsou tribal chief and his son of Alishan exercised jurisdiction over indigenous traditional territories, yet were…
2004
Judicial Reform Three Laws Promotion Alliance Visits KMT Chairman Lien Chan
The Judicial Reform Three Laws Promotion Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the Judicial Reform Alliance), composed…
2003
Judicial Reform Three Laws Promotion Alliance Visits DPP Legislative Caucus
Following visits to the Legislative Yuan President and the Executive Yuan Premier to present their demands, the…