This Week in Asian Law

February 27-March 5


China

Hong Kong

Japan

Koreas

Taiwan

  • The chief justice of Taiwan’s Supreme Court issued a public apology over a scandal in which nearly 40 judicial workers and prosecutors allegedly had inappropriate ties with a businessman who appeared before the court. The businessman, Chia Her Industrial Co president Weng Mao-chung, was convicted of breaching the Securities and Exchange Act in 2012. The chief justice vowed to regain the public’s respect and trust.

  • Opponents of a offshore liquefied natural gas project collected enough petition signatures to force a referendum. The LNG project passed a mandatory evaluation by the Environmental Protection Administration in 2018, but opponents say it endangers the survival of 7,000-year-old algae reefs off the coast of Datan in northern Taiwan. Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng agreed that the public is entitled to vote on the issue, but stressed that it is the government’s responsibility to fully meet the country's energy needs.

  • Freedom House has ranked Taiwan as the second-freest country in Asia with a score of 94 out of 100, putting it behind Japan, which scored 96. The report praised Taiwan's “vibrant and competitive democratic system” for enabling the peaceful handover of power between rival political parties going back to the year 2000 and protecting civil society. Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that the report is an affirmation that Taiwan's pursuit of democracy, freedom, and human rights are “universally recognized by the international community, and are worthy of the pride our people.”

Vietnam