Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

What is the significance of a constitution in a democracy? Last month the first openly lesbian judge on Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court, Susanne Baer, visited Taiwan. She always carried a pocket-sized copy of the German constitution — the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany — and wherever she went, whether she was giving a lecture or participating in a seminar, and whether she talked about human rights, equality or dignity, she took this little book out of her pocket and brought it to life by quoting and reading from it.

The Ministry of Justice’s Agency of Corrections on Monday rejected former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) application for medical parole. However, in an unusual move, Minister of Justice Luo Ying-shay (羅瑩雪) made three suggestions: that Chen could file another appeal to the Taipei District Court, lodge an objection with the Taiwan High Court, or ask the corrections agency for a new diagnosis. This has fueled hopes that another petition could be approved, and, as the world marked International Human Rights Day yesterday, could be seen as a positive development.