Bill to Revamp Trial System: “People’s Judges” to Be Added

 Bill to Revamp Trial System: “People’s Judges” to Be Added

Source: United Daily News

August 18, 2017

President Tsai Ing-wen pledged to revamp the trial system by allowing ROC nationals to join in the trial process in court. The Judicial Yuan (JY) introduced a draft bill, proposing the title of “people’s judges” and stipulating that they would be selected at random from citizens as in the jury system in the UK and US. Moreover, emulating the Schoeffen system in Germany and Japan, the draft bill would allow the “people’s judges” to participate in the process of convicting and sentencing the defendants with professional judges, which was tantamount to having the same authority as the professional judges.

According to the draft bill, six “people’s judges” and three professional judges would jointly try a case. However, legislative action on the bill is required. The JY pointed out that no two countries of the world have exactly identical jury or Schoeffen system of trial, adding that in our efforts for judicial reform, Taiwan should build a system of its own.

The JY admitted that if “people’s judges” jointly convicted and sentenced the defendants with professional judges, their decisions might be influenced by the professional judges. Thus, the JY would scrupulously study and discuss the system from the angles of numerical superiority of “people’s judges” as well as the rules on assessment and deliberations in the courtroom.  

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