A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:
John Eastwood discusses areas in need of legal reform in Taiwan.
He is a partner at the Taipei office of the law firm Eiger. I spoke with John previously in episode 195 about some of the changes he’s seen in Taiwan from a legal perspective, in the 20 years that he’s resided in Taiwan. In this second half of our interview, John and I spoke about other issues and areas in need of legal reform in Taiwan.
This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.
NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:
- to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women’s dignity,
- to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,
- to fully develop women’s potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,
- to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,
- to reach out and work with women’s organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.
To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com
Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:
- Legal reforms that John has seen happen in Taiwan
- Issues that are in need of legal reform
- The Anti-banditry Act (aka The Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry)
- The case of a man who decapitated a child in Taiwan
- What does it mean to be not guilty by reason of insanity
- The need for increased awareness and understanding of mental health and mental illness when it comes to making judgments on criminal cases
- Cases of elder abuse fraud in Taiwan and conservatorship
- How John’s firm has helped to safeguard their elderly clients’ assets
- How elder fraud is not just an “old person’s” issue but also a “young person’s” issue
- How difficult it is to undo things once fraud had been committed
Related Links:
MOJ says `bandit law’ to be axed (an article from Taipei Times about The Act for the Control and Punishment of Banditry): https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/1999/12/22/0000016074
Man decapitates girl in front of mother (an article from the Taipei Times): https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/03/29/2003642675
KMT (Kuomintang): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuomintang
Han Kuo-yu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Kuo-yu
DPP (Democratic Progressive Party): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Progressive_Party
https://www.dpp.org.tw/en/about
New Power Party: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Power_Party
Lost Episodes | John Eastwood (Episode 194): https://talkingtaiwan.com/ep-194-lost-episodes-john-eastwood/
John Eastwood: Talks About the Legal Changes in Taiwan Over the Past 20 Years (Episode 195): https://talkingtaiwan.com/john-eastwood-talks-about-the-legal-changes-in-taiwan-over-the-past-20-years-ep-195/