Era of political interference in judiciary is over: President Lai

Taipei, Sept. 6 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Saturday called for stronger public understanding and respect for the rule of law, asserting that the era of political interference in the justice system is over.

Speaking at an event in Taipei hosted by the Taiwan Bar Association, Lai said one of the landmark changes brought by Taiwan's transition from authoritarianism to democracy in the 1990s had been judicial independence.

"The era of political interference in the judiciary has ended," the president said, adding that the government looked forward to working with the legal community to deepen civic education and promote public respect for the judiciary.

Lai's comments come as political rivals have, for months, accused his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of using the judiciary to target the opposition.

The main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) has criticized raids on its local chapters and the indictments of more than 100 individuals, including party officials, for signature forgery and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act as politically motivated.

The raids and indictments took place amid heightened tensions between the KMT and the DPP, with both parties and their supporters attempting to launch recall petitions to remove each other's lawmakers.

The KMT's recall bids against DPP legislators foundered during the signature-gathering stage, and the DPP-backed campaigns to recall KMT lawmakers, while gaining some traction, ultimately failed in public votes.

Meanwhile, the smaller Taiwan People's Party has protested the detention of its former chair, Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who has been indicted on corruption and other charges, with prosecutors seeking a prison sentence of 28 years and six months.

After being held for one year, Ko -- a former Taipei mayor and Lai's 2024 presidential race opponent -- was granted bail on Friday.

On Saturday, Lai also lauded lawyers as a profession forming the "cornerstone of a society governed by the rule of law," noting that the government would work with the community as it seeks to combat economic crimes and fraud more effectively.

Lawyers played a crucial role in Taiwan's pro-democracy movement in the past and continue to protecting citizens' rights today, according to Lai.