Judge Zhang Hao-Ming Fined Six Months' Salary for Falsely Claiming Account Hacking

Central News Agency Report

(CNA reporter Lin Chang-Shun, Taipei, July 15) Kaohsiung District Court judge Zhang Hao-Ming caused controversy by posting on a judicial forum after his request for reassignment was denied. He then falsely reported to the Judicial Yuan that his account had been hacked in an attempt to delete the post. The Judges Evaluation Committee decided to refer the case for disciplinary action. Today, the Disciplinary Court's Judicial Panel ruled that Zhang be penalized with a six-month reduction in salary, and the ruling is appealable.

The Judges Evaluation Committee stated that Zhang, citing family reasons, had applied for priority transfer to New Taipei District Court but was denied. He used a VPN connection to post on the internal judicial forum under the title "What is the procedure for special transfer judicial meetings?", sparking heated discussion.

The Committee explained that Zhang attempted to delete the post to quell the controversy and falsely reported that his account had been compromised. The Judicial Yuan's Information Division classified this as a Level 1 information security incident and initiated an investigation. Zhang later admitted that the post was made by him and that there was no actual security breach, and he apologized for the incident.

The Committee found that Zhang's motive and purpose in falsely claiming account theft was to delete the forum post. While the act itself was not exceptionally malicious, his subsequent attitude revealed an attempt to conceal his misconduct, demonstrating a lack of integrity expected under judicial ethics. Given the seriousness of the circumstances, the Committee recommended a six-month salary penalty.

The Judicial Panel of the Disciplinary Court noted that Zhang's misconduct triggered a Level 1 cybersecurity investigation by the Information Division, wasting unnecessary administrative resources and manpower. Subsequent extensive media coverage further reduced public trust in judges and severely damaged the judiciary's image.

After careful consideration, the Panel determined that Zhang failed to uphold the noble character and cautious conduct expected of a judge. His actions significantly harmed the judiciary's reputation and public confidence. Moreover, he lacked genuine self-reflection afterward. Taking into account his overall performance, the Panel ruled that Zhang be fined an amount equivalent to six months of his current monthly salary. The decision is appealable. (Editor: Li Heng-Shan) 1150715