CONTROVERSIAL: KMT Legislator John Wu said that other nations that follow the rule of law have long banned law enforcers from questioning witnesses like suspects
Taipei Times
Date: Dec 23, 2017
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter
In the wake of the Investigation Bureau’s arrest of New Party spokesman Wang Ping-chung
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator John Wu, right, accompanied by KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou, presents a draft amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure during a news conference at the legislature in Taipei yesterday which aims to grant witnesses the right to hire lawyers while being questioned by prosecutors. Photo: CNA
(王炳忠) on Tuesday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) and John Wu (吳志揚) yesterday unveiled a draft amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法) aimed at granting witnesses the right to seek legal assistance while being questioned by prosecutors or investigators.
The draft amendment targets Article 175 of the act, which stipulates the rules to be followed by people if they are summoned by a law enforcement agency as a witness, but does not say they can request the presence of a lawyer when being questioned, the lawmakers said.
The article effectively denies witnesses the right to seek legal advice when being questioned, which is clearly a loophole and an infringement of their human rights, they said.
Wang was taken to the bureau for questioning for 18 hours, during which time his access to the rest of the world was cut off because he could not be accompanied by a lawyer, Lin said. [FULL STORY]
