Legal Aid Foundation of Taiwan Annual Report 2007 Annual Report 2007 Legal Aid Foundation
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Legal Aid Foundation Legal Aid Foundation of Taiwan Annual Report 2007 Annual Report 2007 Legal Aid Foundation Legal Aid Foundation of Taiwan Philosophy: 1.Equality──To realize the constitutional right of equal access to the court system, and to facilitate improvement of economic status. 2.Human Rights──To protect the human rights of disadvantaged. 3.Rule of Law──To strengthen the foundation of the rule of law. Principles of Service: To Be Approachable To Adopt Efficient Procedures To Be Flexible To Provide Professional Services Mission: 1.To pursue reform and to develop a comprehensive legal aid system. 2.To make legal aid available throughout Taiwan. 3.To actively publicize information about legal aid. 4.To enable convenient access to legal aid. 5.To improve the quality of legal aid services. 6.To encourage the participation of lawyers in legal aid and social reform. 7.To strengthen provision of legal education to the disadvantaged. Legal Aid Foundation Annual Report 2007 Contents 3. The Case of Losheng Sanitorium.................................................................66 Preface..................................................................................................4 4. The Case of Stateless Students from Thailand and Myanmar.........................67 Chapter 1 Foundation Organization...........................5 5. The Case of Matsu’s “Ghost Population”.......................................................68 Section 1 Board of Directors.............................................................................7 Chapter 3 Fulfillment of Service Philosophy...69 Section 2 Board of Supervisors.......................................................................10 Section 1 Approachability and Convenience....................................................70 Section 3 Secretary-General...........................................................................11 Section 2 Professionalism and Quality.............................................................88 Section 4 Branch Offices..................................................................................12 Section 3 Efficiency and Promptness...............................................................96 Section 5 Analysis of Nationwide Staff.............................................................14 Section 4 Flexibility : Timely Amendment of Laws and Regulations.................99 Section 6 Part-Time Personnel........................................................................16 Chapter 4 Important Events and International Chapter 2 Operational Report........................................23 Exchanges..............................................................101 Section 1 Operational Analysis........................................................................24 Section 2 Special Projects...............................................................................52 Chapter 5 Financial Report..............................................108 1. “Pilot Program of First Criminal Interrogation Accompanied by Legal Aid Attorney” Chapter 6 Future Prospects...........................................127 Project......................................................................................................52 2. “Consumer Debt Clearance Act Promotion and Legal Aid” Project..................55 3. Cooperation with “Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty” Project..............57 4. “Victims of Human Trafficking Relief” Project.................................................58 Appendixes......................................................................................131 5. “Issues about the Disadvantaged Care” Project.............................................58 1. Chronicle of Major Events in 2007..............................................................132 6. “Amend Legislation on Occupational Hazards” Project ...................................61 2. Contact Information for Branch Offices.......................................................134 7. “Compulsory Counseling to Juvenile Offenders” Project.................................62 3. Overview of Foundation Regulations Created and Amended in 2007........136 8. “Low-Income Household” Project.................................................................62 4. Index of Tables on Operational Analysis....................................................138 Section 3 Cases of Major Social Concern.......................................................64 1. The Case of RCA.......................................................................................64 2. The Case of CPDC Pollution.......................................................................65 2 3 Legal Aid Foundation Annual Report 2007 Preface Over the past three-and-a-half years since its founding on 1 July 2004, the Legal Aid Foundation (LAF) has grown in size and complexity. To ensure the quality of operations and services, LAF has been actively updating the data in its computerized Operational Management System, with particular emphasis on tracking cases involving contribution, repayment and recovery costs, and on the issuance and collection of guarantee certificates. Last year, with the purpose to effectively enhance the protection of human rights and to provide assistance to the disadvantaged during criminal interrogation, LAF further initiated the “Pilot Program of First Criminal Interrogation Accompanied by Legal Aid Attorney” project and “Consumer Debt Clearance Act Promotion and Legal Aid” project. Also, the Foundation Chapter 1 endeavored to inform more of the disadvantaged with LAF’s messages and services through promoting recent services, expanding publicity channels and bases, advancing nationwide popularity and propagating issues concerning the disadvantaged so that they might be ready Foundation Organization for application legal aid resources when necessary. To guard the right of the applicants and concerned parties, the “Guidelines for Handling Appeals” was constituted in addition to the “Notes on LAF Branch Offices’ Handling Appeals” so that the process flow became more definite and effective, and the legal aid service of each branch gradually moved in a normal course. However, it remains an important subject and a great challenge in the future for LAF to decide the main target of legal aid and the process priority for different case types so as to improve the quality of legal aid, provide effective service and meet the real needs of the disadvantaged. Thanks to the participation and support by the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Directors and staff of all Branch Offices, legal aid attorneys, members of Examining and Reviewing Committees as well as the guidance from Judicial Yuan, LAF has been able to continue to move forward. LAF promises to advance further in the aspects of the Foundation’s regulations, publicity, informational technology and international affairs, etc. to meet the expectation of all people. It is LAF’s hope that the legal aid system in Taiwan would become more mature and popular, and that the constitutional spirit of protecting people’s right to institute litigation and right to equality may be realized. 4 Annual Report 2007 Legal Aid Foundation Section 1 Board of Directors The Board of Directors is the highest decision-making body of the Foundation. The Board comprises thirteen directors with a 3-year-long term of office and are positions without remuneration hired by President of Judicial Yuan. The directors include two representatives from Judicial Yuan, one from Ministry of Justice, one from Ministry of National Defense, one from Ministry of Organization Chart Interior, four attorneys recommended by the bar associations both regional and nationwide for their ardent participation in legal aid service, two academic specialists in law or other scholastic fields, one representative from the disadvantaged groups and one indigenous representative. ■First-Term Board of Directors (Term:March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) 董事會 Board of Directors Board of Supervisors Chairperson Tun-ming Tsai (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) 稽核室 Auditing Dept. (Honorary Professor, College of Law; National Taiwan University; Ph.D. in Law, University of Freiberg, Germany) Chairperson董事長 of Chairperson of Board of Directors Board of Supervisors Directors (In Alphabetical Order) Chin-yung Chang (June 16, 2005~March 22, 2007) (Section Chief, Department of Judicial Protection, Ministry of Justice) 秘書長 Secretary-General John C. Chen (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) (Attorney; Standing Director and Former Chairman, Judicial Reform Foundation) Hui-rong Ji (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) (CEO, The Garden of Hope Foundation) Reviewing Committee Specialist Committees Den-mei Ku (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) Directors of (Professor, Department of Political Science, National Taiwan University; Former Commissioner 20 Branch Offices Development Committee Research Committee Legal Affairs Committee International Affairs Committee of the Control Yuan) James C. Ku (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) 國 國 (Attorney; Former Director General of Taiwan Bar Association) 發 際 際 Information Dept. Administration Dept. Financial Accounting Dept. General Affairs Dept. Human Resources Dept. (and International Affairs Dept.) Public Promotion Dept. Legal & Business Affairs Dept. Staff Attorney Executive Secretaries and Staff Examining Committee 展 事 事 Lin-yung Kuo (March 23, 2004~March 22, 2007) 專 務 務 (Attorney; Consultant and Former Director General of Taiwan Bar Association; Then Legislator) 門 專 專 委 門 門 Jiang-yi Lin (December