Taipei, Nov. 24 (CNA) Vice President Annette Lu said Monday she earnestly hopes that local young lawyers can dedicate themselves to the campaign for writing a new constitution for Taiwan.
Lu made the appeal while meeting with a jurists delegation from Japan.
Lu told her guests that Taiwan's current Constitution was written in mainland China in 1947 and didn't fit the island's present reality. "We are now planning to formulate a new constitution that can meet our needs and strengthen our young democracy, " Lu said, adding that she looks forward to seeing young lawyers join the campaign to hasten the birth of a new constitution for Taiwan.
Lu said lawyers have traditionally enjoyed trust and respect in Taiwan society because they have made outstanding contributions in various aspects in the island's development over the past decades.
Among others things, Lu said, jurists have played a critical role in pushing for the lifting of martial law as well as a series of democratic reforms, including direct popular election of the president and legislative reform.
Lu recalled that she was arrested on the Dec. 10 World Human Rights Day in 1979 for her pro-democracy speeches. Seven other activists were also nabbed in the incident known as the "Kaohsiung Incident." "At that time, Taiwan was still under martial law. Open trials were held for us only after strong pressure from the international community. A group of young lawyers volunteered to defend us in the court-martial. The youngest of them was Chen Shui-bian, who is now our president," Lu said.
Major Taiwan bar associations have traditionally maintained close ties with their Japanese counterparts, Lu said, adding that she hopes lawyers from the two sides will expand cooperation in pushing for judicial reforms in their respective countries in the future.