10 Taiwan lawmakers indicted for brawling in Legislature

Taipei, Feb. 12 (CNA) Ten lawmakers from Taiwan's two main political parties were indicted Thursday for causing bodily injury and other offenses during a spate of brawls inside the legislative chamber and a committee room in 2024 and 2025.

Legislators Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介), Liao Wei-hsiang (廖偉翔), Chiu Cheng-chun (邱鎮軍), Huang Chien-hao (黃健豪), Huang Jen (黃仁), Wang Hung-wei (王鴻薇) and Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍) of the Kuomintang (KMT), as well as Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬), Lin Chu-yin (林楚茵) and Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were all charged following an investigation of criminal complaints, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office said.

Four other lawmakers named in the complaints were not charged due to insufficient evidence, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, the first and largest of the fights broke out on May 17, 2024, during debate on revisions to the Law Governing the Legislative Yuan's Powers.

At the time, DPP lawmaker Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) alleged that during a scrum to occupy the speaker's rostrum, three KMT lawmakers -- Liao, Chiu Cheng-chun and Huang Chien-hao -- pushed him down into the chamber's well.

As Chiu tried to grab a table to prevent himself from falling, Hsieh Lung-chieh dragged him to the ground headfirst, leaving him with a concussion and external injuries on his head, Chiu said.

All four KMT lawmakers were indicted for roughing up Chiu, as was the KMT's Huang Jen, for a similar pushing incident that left the DPP's Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) with a fractured tailbone.

Chiu Cheng-chun was also indicted for a second scuffle later that day, in which he grabbed DPP lawmaker Puma Shen's (沈伯洋) clothes and threw him to the ground headfirst, resulting in a concussion, prosecutors said.

During debate on the same legislation one week later, which also devolved into physical conflict, DPP lawmaker Lin Shu-fen was found to have punched Mai Yu-chen (麥玉珍) of the Taiwan People's Party (TPP) in the face.

On those grounds, Lin was also charged with causing bodily injury, prosecutors said.

Other laws, other brawls

According to the indictment, lawmakers Lin Chu-yin of the DPP and Wang Hung-wei of the KMT were both charged for slapping and kicking each other as they fought to seize the convener's chair during a July 8, 2024 committee hearing on revisions to the Public Officials Election and Recall Act.

On Dec. 6, 2024, the KMT's move to place the same bill on the Legislature's agenda without prior warning sparked another attempt by the DPP to halt the session by occupying the speaker's chair.

During the tussle that followed, KMT lawmaker Chen Yu-chen was found to have bear-hugged the DPP's Lin Yue-chin (林月琴), carried her off the rostrum, and then thrown her to the ground and kicked her, prosecutors said.

Chen was likewise charged with causing bodily injury.

During a final incident on March 25, 2025, DPP legislative caucus leader Ker Chien-ming became irritated with two KMT-initiated referendum proposals that had been placed on the agenda.

As the DPP protested the proceedings, Ker slammed his retractable cane twice against a table on the speaker's rostrum, causing the bottom half of it to fly off and strike the KMT's Hsu Chiao-hsin (徐巧芯) in the arm, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors, however, said they found no evidence that Ker was trying to hit Hsu, and therefore only charged him with negligence leading to bodily injury.

During their investigation, prosecutors said, several suspects argued that their actions fell within the speech immunity granted to lawmakers under Constitutional Court Interpretation No. 435.

However, prosecutors ultimately decided that such deliberate physical actions were unrelated to the exercise of official powers, and were therefore not subject to constitutional protections, the indictment said.

Under Taiwan's Criminal Code, causing bodily injury is punishable by up to five years in prison, or a fine of up to NT$500,000 (US$15,930). Negligence leading to injury is punishable by a maximum of one year imprisonment or a fine of up to NT$100,000.

Scuffles and attempts to seize the speaker's chair (known as a "boycott") are relatively common in Taiwan's Legislature, and offer lawmakers a chance to show that they are fighting -- literally -- for their constituents.