台灣司法政治的興起

The rise of judicial politics in Taiwan

本文將指出司法政治是當代台灣政治的一個最新發展現象。但是，此波司法政治的興起，不同於一般法律學者強調，是來自大法官所推動的憲政改革（美國模式）；相反的，筆者認為，此波司法政治的興起，主要是由基層地檢署的檢察官和地方法院法官所發起，主要是針對貪污腐敗、賄選的偵辦、選舉糾紛，以及政治人物將司法作為另一種政治對抗的武器。台灣的這一波司法政治的興起，主要在兩個條件下才有可能：第一、過去由基層檢察官和法官所發起司法獨立改革運動取得一定的進展。第二、台灣民主政治的缺陷，此包括了台灣的侍從主義體系以及選舉過程所帶來的缺失。

This paper will point out that the rise of judicial politics is a new phenomenon in Taiwan. However, unlike law scholars who characterize Taiwan’s Constitutional Court justices as Taiwan’s top constitutional reformers,I will contend that the rise of judicial politics is attributable mostly to the judicial reform led by young judges and prosecutors from the bottom of the judicial hierarchy. The main types of judicial politics include investigation on politician’s corruption and vote-buying activities, rampant electoral disputation, and politicians’ use of the law as a political weapon.Two main conditions promoted the rise of judicial politics in Taiwan: one was the judicial-independence reforms pursued by young reform-minded judges and prosecutors; the other was the deficiency of Taiwanese politics,including rampant clientelism and rampant disputations of elections.