INFRINGEMENT:The ruling could give the president precedent to intervene in ‘potential disputes between different branches of government,’ prosecutors said

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 19, 2017
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has appealed a court ruling acquitting former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of abetting the leak of classified information related to an investigation of an opposition lawmaker while the investigation was ongoing in September 2013.

Prosecutors on Friday filed an appeal against the Aug. 25 ruling by the Taipei District Court, contending that it was made on an erroneous legal foundation, office spokesman Chou Shih-yu (周士榆) said.

By ruling in favor of Ma, the court misconstrued the president’s power to mediate interpersonal disputes and created an ambiguous standard that allows the president to step into “potential disputes between different branches of government,” which would allow the president to intervene in judicial investigations and infringe on people’s basic rights, Chou said.

The ruling has damaged the principle of separation of powers and the protection of people’s basic rights, he said.    [FULL  STORY]