Judicial Yuan official Chang Chiung-wen says that more effort is needed to advance Taiwan’s program of judicial reform.
The Judicial Yuan is one of the five branches of Taiwan’s government. Chang serves as the judiciary’s deputy secretary-general. She was speaking Wednesday before the Legislature’s committee on the judiciary, laws, and statutes.
The push for judicial reform in Taiwan championed by President Tsai Ing-wen covers areas including the appointment of judges, criminal justice, and the prison system. But not all have welcomed the way that the government is pursuing judicial reform. Su Yeong-chin, the outgoing vice president of the Judicial Yuan, has reportedly said that judicial reform should not start with the president and that the judiciary should be allowed to operate independently of the executive branch.
Chang declined to comment on that statement during Wednesday’s Legislative hearing. However, she admitted that the Judicial Yuan’s work to become more open and meet public expectation has not been sufficient.