Since taking office, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has exercised the power to pardon three times. The legal community mostly praised her first pardon in the case of Tama Talum, a Bunun hunter also known as Wang Kuang-lu (王光祿), saying that it was a response to the current legal system, in particular Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 803, which said that the then-Council of Grand Justices lacked understanding to enhance the protection of indigenous people.
However, the community was highly critical of the second and the third pardons, which were of retired army general Han Yu-ping (韓豫平) and army sergeant Chang Yu-sen (張淯森).
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Friday last week pardoned retired army general Han Yu-ping (韓豫平) and army sergeant Chang Yu-sen (張淯森), officially rendering their guilty verdicts null and void.
Tsai’s action could be viewed from two perspectives: one is the effectiveness of Taiwan’s legal system, and another regards the amount of respect given to members of the country’s armed forces and their families.
From the perspective of legal justice and the effectiveness of Taiwan’s court system, one could say that the purpose of crime and punishment is to educate, and therefore the principle of proportionality should be applied.
This particular case
Taipei, April 22 (CNA) Retired Army major general Han Yu-ping (韓豫平) and former sergeant Chang Yu-sen (張淯森) received presidential pardons Friday that overturned their penalties for corruption convictions that were widely seen as overly punitive.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday pardoned retired army general Han Yu-ping (韓豫平) and army sergeant Chang Yu-sen (張淯森), who were sentenced to prison for using NT$2,880 (US$98.43 at the current exchange rate) from a bonus payment to pay for a banquet for members of their unit.
The presidential pardon revoked their conviction on corruption charges, to confirm with the principle of proportionality between crime and punishment, and in recognition of their service to the nation, Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said.
Han and Chang Yu-sen were stationed at the Hualien and Taitung Defense Command in 2015, as chief of staff and
‘ERROR IN JUDGEMENT’: The general’s four-year prison sentence for using NT$2,880 to pay for a dinner with soldiers did not fit the crime, a government spokesperson saidBy Lee Hsin-fang / Staff reporter, with CNA