Rights groups express concern Legislature could delay justice nominations

Taipei, Oct. 9 (CNA) More than a dozen civil society groups on Wednesday called on the Legislature to hold fair and rigorous hearings for seven justice nominees soon, expressing concern that the process could be derailed by ongoing inter-party struggles.

The 14 groups, which have formed a provisional "alliance" to monitor the yet-to-be-scheduled nomination hearings, also cast doubt on whether former lawmaker Yao Li-ming (姚立明), handpicked by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) as a justice and deputy head of the Judicial Yuan, is fit for the position.

At a press conference outside the Legislative Yuan complex, Professor Huang Song-lih (黃嵩立) said the Legislature should arrange nomination hearings "as soon as possible," providing each justice nominee with an opportunity to express his or her views and respond to questions or concerns.

Currently, lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People's Party (TPP) have yet to agree on any dates for nomination hearings.

Since the new session began at the end of September, the Legislature has been brought to a standstill due to a lack of agreement on government budget plans and other nomination confirmations, among other issues, between the ruling party and the opposition.

Huang, who teaches at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, noted that the hearings for justice nominees should be conducted "fairly" and "rigorously" to examine the candidates' moral integrity, views on the constitutional order and human rights, as well as their competence.

The hearings must not be used as a "tool or leverage" by lawmakers in their inter-party competition, he said, warning that any acts to rashly carry out or hamper hearings risk undermining the credibility of the judicial system and democratic governance.

Huang serves as convenor of the alliance comprising the Judicial Reform Foundation (JRF), the Taipei Bar Association, the Taiwan Criminal Defense Attorney Association, and the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, among others.

However, the group appeared reserved when asked how it had evaluated the seven nominees - including National Taiwan University law professor Chang Wen-chen (張文貞), who was tapped to head the Judicial Yuan - announced by the Presidential Office on Aug. 30.

JRF Deputy CEO Lee Ming-ju (李明洳) said the alliance had proposed 15 questions for the justice nominees, along with additional questions for Chang and Yao, in order to learn more about their views on human rights and judicial policy issues.

"We will be able to assess" the qualification of the nominees after they respond to the proposed questions, Lee said.

Nevertheless, Lee pointed out that the alliance questioned Yao's ability to "go beyond party lines" and fulfill his duties impartially, given the fact that he served as director of Lai's presidential campaign headquarters in the 2024 presidential election.

The group also expressed doubt about Yao's competence in participating in Constitutional Court reviews, noting that the former lawmaker last published an law-related academic paper in 2007 and has primarily been involved in political work for the past two decades.

The seven incumbent justices are scheduled to step down on Oct.31 after serving for eight years.