In her second inaugural address, President Tsai Ing-wen discussed implementing a lay judge system.
[6][7] The 2016–2017 conference considered a number of proposals, including decriminalizing defamation to protect freedom of speech,[8] extending protections offered to judicial victims,[9] independent evaluation of judicial performance,[10] and more amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure and Implementation Rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure, drafts of which were approved in July 2019.
[26] Lay judges are barred from hearing court cases involving minors or drug charges.
[26] To serve as a lay judge, one must be a citizen of the Republic of China, be at least 23 years old, have completed a high school education or equivalent, and have lived within the jurisdiction of the district court for four months.
[26] Under the Citizen Judges Act, exemptions from service may be granted to educators, students, those above 70 years of age, people with health conditions that could be exacerbated by participation in legal proceedings, or those with difficulty setting aside home and work duties.