President Ma Ying-jeou met with Lord Justice Clerk of Scotland Brian Gill, Lord Gill, who is the second most senior judge in Scotland, on the afternoon of March 2 at the Presidential Office. Also a part of the visiting delegation were Justice Andrew Hardie, Baron Hardie and Justice Colin J. M. Sutherland, Lord Carloway. The president, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), expressed his gratitude to the visitors for the efforts they have made to promote friendly relations between Taiwan and Scotland.
The president said that this marks the first official visit to Taiwan by members of the European and British legal community since he took office. He added that Scotland is an extremely important part of the United Kingdom, and its cultural traditions and legal system are somewhat different from those of other parts of Britain. President Ma said that the Scottish legal system is in many ways akin to the Continental Legal System.
Scotland is home to a unique culture and arts environment. For instance, Edinburgh and Glasgow are renowned for their artistic and literary strengths, he said. The president added that Scottish society holds everyone in the visiting delegation in extremely high esteem. Lord Gill, he said, has visited mainland China seven times in the past and has delivered many lectures that reveal a deep understanding of the situation there. The president said he is extremely pleased that Lord Gill has been able to visit Taiwan, noting that his trip here will help to expand the depth and breadth of relations between Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
President Ma furthermore said that significant progress is being seen in relations between Taiwan and the UK, especially in the areas of education and culture. He pointed out that at present one fourth of Taiwan students heading overseas for study go to the UK, and that this number is gradually continuing to rise. In addition, consistent growth is also being seen in the development of trade and investment between the two countries. Most recently, the British government has decided to provide visa-free courtesies to tourists from Taiwan, enabling Taiwan tourists to spend up to six months in the UK. The president said he is confident that the number of Taiwan visitors to the UK will increase as a result, adding that he believes this will generate a positive impact on other members of the European Union. The president reiterated his appreciation for the measure adopted by the UK.
President Ma said the ROC government is currently working hard to ratify two international human rights covenants. He said he hopes this will bring human rights standards on Taiwan in line with those of the international community. In addition, Taiwan continues to strive to promote democracy and rule of law, which he said are extremely important objectives laid out in the Constitution of the ROC. He said he hopes to enhance democratic standards and the rule of law here during his presidency. President Ma commented that he himself has a background in law and that he holds fast to these principles. He expressed his hope that his visitors will provide their valuable opinions to serve as reference for the ROC in its efforts to reach its goals.
Lord Gill expressed his appreciation to President Ma for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with him and his colleagues. He said that the trip to Taiwan by this delegation is quite important to the Scottish legal community as it offers an opportunity to witness Taiwan’s judicial system first hand. Lord Gill expressed his view that more and more types of criminal offenses are being seen in society these days, which is presenting a major challenge to the judicial system. He said he hopes that during his visit he is able to obtain a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s prosecutorial system and judicial system, thereby providing reference for Scotland’s judicial authorities.