刑事妥速審判法

1This Act is enacted to ensure fair, legitimate and speedy criminal trials so as to protect human rights and the public interest.

2Matters other than prescribed hereinto, other relevant laws shall apply.

The court shall conduct investigation of evidence speedily and comprehensively in accordance with the law, ensure a fair trial, establish facts effectively and deliberately so as to be the basis for rulings and verdicts, and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the parties and the victim..

The parties at issue, agents, defense attorneys and other people who participate the proceeding and engage in litigation acts shall exercise their rights on the litigation proceeding in accordance with the principle of good faith, and shall not misuse or delay the exercise of such rights without good cause.

The court shall conduct preliminary proceedings in conformity with relevant provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure, and after the preliminary proceeding is completed, the court shall proceed with continuous trials at the earliest possible time so that the case can be disposed effectively and speedily.

1The court shall give priority to hear the case where the accused is in detention and conduct intensive and speedy trials.

2The extension of detention during the trial, for those who commit an offense with a maximum principal sentence of a death sentence, life imprisonment or imprisonment of more than ten years, shall be limited to six times during the trial of first instance and second instance respectively, and limited to one time during the trial of third instance.

3The accumulated period of detention during the trial shall not exceed five years.

4The detention as described in the preceding paragraph shall be deemed revoked if there is still no final judgement rendered upon expiration of the detention period, and the court shall release the accused.

The publice prosecutor shall bear the burden of proof and persuasion to convince the court the facts of the crime charged against the accused. Where the evidence provided by the prosecutors is insufficient to prove that the accused is guilty, or the method of proof indicated fails to convince the court to a guilty verdict, the principle of presumption of innocence shall apply.

1For the outstanding case with no final judgement being made for more than eight years from the date the case is subject to the jurisdiction of first instance, except for the case that a not-guilty verdict shall be announced in accordance with the law, the court shall reduce the sentence, upon the request of the accused or ex officio, and after considering the following circumstances which make it conclude that the right to a speedy trial of the accused is grossly violated and appropriate remedies shall be necessary to be provided:

21. Whether the delay in litigation proceeding is caused by the accused;

32. The balance between the complication of the case in terms of legality and facts and the delay in the litigation proceeding;

43. Other matters related to the speedy trial.

A case shall not be appealed to the Supreme Court if it is more than six years from the date the case is pending in the first instance and after being remanded by the Supreme Court for the third time, the court of second instance upholds the not guilty judgement rendered by the first instance or its not guilty judgement has been upheld by courts of the same instance for more than twice before remanding.

1Except for the circumstances provided for in the preceding Article, if the court of second instance reaffirms the not guilty judgement rendered by the first instance, the reasons for appeal are limited to the following conditions:

21. The law or order applied in the judgement is inconsistent with the Constitution;

32. The judgement is in contradiction to the Interpretation of the Judicial Yuan;

43. The judgement is in contradiction to the precedent.

5Articles 377 to 379 and Paragraph 1, Article 393 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall not apply to the trial of the case specified in the preceding paragraph.

Where a judgement is rendered by the court of second instance and is during the period allowed for appeal to the Supreme Court, an appeal has been filed within the appeal period, or the case is pending in the Supreme Court before this Act comes into force, Chapter 3, Part 3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall apply to the case of the preceding two Articles.

Where a court requires the cooperation from relevant agencies for the purpose of speedy trial, relevant agencies shall give priority to its cooperation to the court as soon as possible.

To achieve the goal for speedy trial and human rights protection, the government shall construct an efficient judicial proceeding system, increase suitable judicial personnel and build up a structure and environment that is convenient to retain attorneys.

1This Act shall apply mutatis mutandis to cases pending in the court before the Act coming into force.

2Where the court renders a ruling to extend the detention of a accused before Paragraph 2 to 4 of Article 5 come into force, such ruling remains effective.

1Paragraphs 2 to 4 of Article 5 shall come into force two years after the date of promulgation; Article 9 shall come into force one year after the date of promulgation; the date of coming into force for the other articles shall be determined by the Judicial Yuan.

2Paragraph 3 of Article 5, amended and approved on May 24, 2019, shall come into force one year after the amendment and promulgation; the deletion of Paragraph 5 of Article 5 shall come into force six months after the amendment and promulgation, and the provisions of Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3 of Article 7-11 of the Implementation Rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended and approved on May 24, 2019 shall apply.