Counselors of the Judicial Yuan to take responsibility for the examination of bills

Source: Liberty Times 11/10/2001
Translated by Jem Chung

　The powers of counselors of the Judicial Yuan are about to undergo a major reform.  The Judicial Yuan Orientation Panel held a meeting yesterday to work on the amendment draft of the “Organic Law of the Judicial Yuan” and passed a revolution to reinforce the function of counselors in the Judicial Yuan.  In the future, all the legal cases will have to be examined and discussed by the counselors first before they are sent to the Legislative Yuan for deliberations. 

　Article 17 of the “Organic Law of the Judicial Yuan” now in effect stipulates that “The Judicial Yuan shall have six to eight counselors responsible for the drafting and examination of bills, decrees and orders, etc.”.  However, in the amendment draft passed yesterday, counselors are invested with even greater powers.  In addition to the examination of bills, they also have to provide legal, professional opinions at any given time so to add forces to the legal consultation staff in the Judicial Yuan.