Former Judge Referred to Disciplinary Court for Case Backlog and Failure to Submit Rulings for Review

(Central News Agency reporter Liu Shih-i, Taipei, 14th) Former judge Lu Chao-chun is under scrutiny for delaying case processing and failing to submit more than 400 rulings for supervisory review before transitioning to a legal career. The Taichung District Court requested an individual case evaluation, and the Judges Evaluation Committee (JEC) has ruled the request valid, recommending that Lu be referred to the Judicial Disciplinary Chamber for trial. The JEC further recommends removal from judicial office and permanent disqualification from holding any public service position.

On June 12, the Judges Evaluation Committee conducted an individual case review and resolved that the request was justified. The decision document was released today, stating that Lu Chao-chun, the subject of the evaluation, should be referred by the Judicial Yuan to the Judicial Disciplinary Chamber for proceedings. The Committee recommends removal from judicial office and prohibits future appointment as a civil servant.

The JEC states that Lu Chao-chun was a former judge at Taichung District Court, who resigned on December 15, 2025, to become a lawyer. During his tenure, he committed four major violations: First, 358 rulings drafted under sole adjudication were not submitted to the presiding judge or court president for review. Second, 17 cases involving prosecutors' additional indictments were not promptly assigned for processing. Third, 64 criminal-attached civil litigation cases were not timely assigned, with 31 of them failing to deliver copies of the complaint to the parties involved. Fourth, in two cases, defendants who had been arrested after being wanted were not promptly reassigned for processing.

The resolution document notes that Lu fully admitted to all four violations, citing personal reasons such as family members falling ill consecutively.

The JEC determined that Lu's conduct constituted a long-term, large-scale violation of procedural rules, including the Guidelines for Review of Case Documents by Probationary Judges, the Implementation Guidelines for Case Numbering, Counting, Assignment, and Reporting in Civil and Criminal Cases, Taichung District Court's case assignment rules, and the Code of Criminal Procedure. These breaches severely infringed upon litigants' right to litigation and constitute serious misconduct.

The Committee emphasized that Lu, originally a lawyer who transitioned into the judiciary, repeatedly bypassed the document review system, evading supervision by presiding judges and court presidents. To conceal an excessive backlog of unresolved cases, he deliberately delayed assigning cases involving prosecutors' additional indictments, attached civil suits, and arrested defendants. Most critically, he failed to deliver complaint copies in 31 civil-attached cases, severely undermining parties' legal rights.

The JEC also considered that prior to his transfer from New Taipei District Court to Taichung, Lu had already received a warning for excessive case handovers. During his tenure at Taichung, his case management was poor, his work attitude passive, and his professional dedication lacking, resulting in performance evaluations rated as "unsatisfactory" in both 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the Judicial Yuan reviewed his probationary performance and deemed it不合格 (unqualified).

The JEC concluded that Lu consistently failed to perform his duties with diligence and prudence. Rather than learning from past mistakes, he adopted practices such as withholding documents and delaying case assignments to evade oversight. The volume and severity of violations demonstrate a fundamental lack of the competence and professionalism required of a judge, reaching a level of unfitness for judicial or any public office. Accordingly, strict legal penalties are warranted. (Editor: Li Hsi-chang) 1150714