Amendments on streaming of court hearings clear Legislature

Taipei, June 27 (CNA) Part of court proceedings will be streamed under amendments that passed the Legislature on Friday, despite opposition from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The amendments to the Court Organization Act, proposed by the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) and supported by the Kuomintang (KMT), apply to both trials on matters of fact and appeals on matters of law. The TPP said the changes aim to "let sunshine illuminate the court."

The amendments stipulate that court debates and the pronouncement of judgments should be conducted publicly. When the courtroom cannot accommodate a reasonable number of observers, audiovisual feeds should be transmitted to a nearby public gallery within the same court building.

During proceedings at the Supreme Court and the Grand Chamber, streaming will not be permitted in cases involving national security, public order, or those that could cause significant harm to a person's life, health, privacy, or trade secrets.

In proceedings relating to the facts of a case at district courts and High Courts, audio and video recordings of evidence are generally not eligible for streaming. However, such evidence may be streamed in cases of significant public interest, if requested by a party and approved by the court.

Streaming will not apply to minor cases. If streaming certain recordings could affect the fairness of the trial or pose a threat to a party's life, property, or privacy, those recordings may be subject to moderation.

The amendments were passed following two failed cross-party negotiations on Thursday and Friday.

On Friday, Minister of Justice Huang Shih-chieh (黃世杰) expressed concern that the changes could compromise judicial impartiality, while TPP Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) argued that judicial proceedings should be subject to public oversight.

KMT Legislator Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) also supported the bill, saying public observation should be seen as reinforcing judicial authority rather than undermining it.

DPP legislative caucus whip Wu Szu-yao (吳思瑤) questioned whether the TPP intended the amendments to influence the court's handling of a corruption case involving former TPP Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). In response, TPP lawmaker Lin Kuo-chen (林國成) said the amendments would not apply to Ko's case.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Yuan expressed regret over the passage of the amendments, saying the revisions were made without adequate deliberation. It pledged to continue carrying out its duties faithfully.

The amendments will take effect 30 days after they are promulgated by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德).