Improve our Services and Build Friendly Image

1. Perform plans to promote public confidence and friendly image of the prosecutorial organizations.

(a) Perform plans to promote public confidence and friendly image of the prosecutorial organizations, and to protect the image of the judicial system.

(i) Promote judicial volunteer system and improve the service function of this Office. We recruit our retired staff as volunteers to assist us in providing service. In addition, we organized a judicial volunteer team in April 1999. This team has helped us lead people and forward cases to proper departments.

(ii) Establish "Single Counter for Bail Refund" "Single Counter for Bail Refund" is located in the service center. We proceed with the bail refund immediately after people's request in our Office.

(iii) Telephone Inquiries When we receive telephone inquiries in the service center or other departments, a "Record Form for Telephone Inquiries " shall be filled out. We will respond to those inquiries in a timely manner.

(iv) Inquiries regarding the Progress of the Cases When we receive inquiries regarding the progress of the cases in the service center or other departments, a "Record Form for Inquiries regarding the Progress of the Cases " shall be filled out. We will respond to those inquiries in a timely manner.

(v) E-mail for Public Opinion Staff from the Civil Service Ethics Office will open the e-mail account for public opinion (comments and inquiries) everyday (E-mail: slcmail@mail.moj.gov.tw). We will respond in a timely manner.

(vi) Make it more convenient for defendants to report to us for execution voluntarily If the cases have been assigned for execution, and the defendants report to us voluntarily, the case will be executed immediately and the information will be filed.

(b) Improve the function of prosecutors advocacy at the court hearings. Beginning from June 2000, prosecutors of this Office have to attend the court hearings throughout the entire legal proceedings in order to proceed with actions of advocacy in the court.

(c) Carefully deal with the news release during investigation under the principle of “keeping the investigation process secret.” Assistant Chief Prosecutor is the spokesperson of this Office. He/She shall discuss with the prosecutor in charge of the case and release the news without revealing the confidential information during the investigation in order to protect the prosecutor’s safety, ensure a successful progress of investigation and satisfy the public's demand for knowledge.

(d) Improve the Prosecutors Attitude toward the Cases In order to see if the prosecutors attitude in interrogation is sincere, peaceful, and if the defendants are given opportunity to state the facts in favor of them, when parties of each case enroll at the Judicial Police Office, they will be given a comment form to write their comments about us. If there is any negative comment on prosecutors attitude in interrogation, we will try to find out the problem and improve it.

(e) Encourage prosecutors to motion cases for summary trial The prosecutors in this Office tend to motion cases for summary trial after considering the facts of each case. In order to protect the rights of the parties of a criminal lawsuit, a “Leaflet regarding Summary Trial Procedure of Cases Chargeable only upon Complaint” will be attached to the motion for summary trial.

(f) Properly apply Articles 253-1 and 253-2 of the Criminal Procedure Act to suspend the prosecution. In order to reduce the number of criminal cases, protect human rights, prosecutors may take the matters listed in Article 57 of the Criminal Code and public interest into consideration and suspend the prosecution except that the criminals in the cases shall be sentenced to death penalty, life imprisonment or imprisonment for more than 3 years.

(g) The prosecutor will properly use non-prosecution as prescribed in Article 253 of the Criminal Procedure Act As to the cases prescribed in Article 376 of the Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors may take the matters listed in Article 57 of the Criminal Code into consideration and make non-prosecution decisions so as to encourage the defendants to correct their errors and make a fresh start.

(h) Protect the human rights of defendants If the defendant has retained an attorney, the attorney will be notified to present at the investigation. Before questioning the defendants, they should be notified of their rights. The entire proceedings must be audio-recorded and may be video-recorded if necessary in order to protect the human rights of defendants.

2. Establish a service center, and carry out the goal to provide our service through a single counter. In order to provide fast and modern service, we are constantly improving our service. We provide following service in the service center:

(a) receiving documents.

(b) reimburse witness for the traveling expenses.

(c) issue additional copy/copies of coroner's certificate

(d) refund bail

(e) return seizures

(f) accept other applications

3. Deal with autopsy cases quickly. In order to deal with autopsy cases quickly, we have prosecutor on duty everyday. Upon receiving an autopsy request, the prosecutor, forensic doctor and the clerk will appear in the crime scene and proceed with the autopsy. An autopsy certificate will be issued on the spot.

4. Deal with bail affairs quickly After interrogations, the prosecutor will consider the facts, the position, job, family, environment and former behavior of the defendant and set the amount of bail. The person-in-charge should deal with the bail quickly. If the amount of bail is paid after our office hours or on weekends/holidays, the personnel on duty will deal with the matter, receive the money and write a temporary receipt for the convenience of the people who want to be released on bail.

5. Promote politeness while providing service We have good manners in every part of our service. We serve the public with friendly attitude. We try our best to reach a common consensus in various public gatherings. Our Research and Evaluation Section will do random evaluation on our service and make people have good impression on our Office.

6. Renovate the rest area for the parties and establish attorneys rest area. In order to provide people who come to our Office with a safe and comfortable place to wait for the interrogation, we have a rest area for the parties and attorneys. There are desks, chairs, telephone, stereo system, and air conditioner in the resting area. For people to know the progress of the investigation while waiting in the rest area, there is also an electronic monitor showing the sequence of the cases in the investigation rooms.

7. Constantly improve and enhance the surrounding area. We have people specially assigned for the maintenance of a clean environment in our Office. Smoking is strictly prohibited indoors. We pay much attention on environmental protection. To make a beautiful and comfortable environment, we plant flowers and trees and hang pictures on the walls.

8. Build facilities for disabled people, set up a bell for disabled people to ask for help, and provide wheel chair at the front gate. In order to provide better facilities for disabled people, we have the path specially designed for disabled people, bricks that provide guidance to blind people, handrail in stairs and elevators, restrooms for disabled people and wheel chairs. We also set up a bell to ask for help in the path specially designed for disabled people.

9. Establish "Evening Reception" We have an Evening Reception counter in the Judicial Police Office. We receive legal documents after office hours, print date and time of reception on it, and deliver to the Mail Room the next day.