2025/07/29
Ministry of National Defense: Minister Ku Presides Over Inauguration Ceremony for Military High Court Service Tribunal and Northern Regional Military Court Soldiers’ Rights Protection Committee, Enhancing Human Rights Protection Mechanisms
Ministry of National Defense Press Release
Time: 1950 hours, July 29, 2025
Minister Ku Presides Over Inauguration Ceremony for Military High Court Service Tribunal and Northern Regional Military Court Soldiers’ Rights Protection Committee, Enhancing Human Rights Protection Mechanisms
Today (July 29), Minister of National Defense Ku Li-Hsiung presided over the inauguration ceremony for the “Military High Court Service Tribunal and Northern Regional Military Court Soldiers’ Rights Protection Committee,” marking a significant milestone in the transformation of the military justice system, symbolizing the ROC Armed Forces’ proactive advancement toward rule of law and professionalism. This initiative also improves the redress mechanism for soldiers’ rights, strengthens the fairness and transparency of institutional operations, and responds to societal expectations for human rights protections within the military.
In the morning, Minister Ku, accompanied by Deputy Minister General Chung Shu-Ming, Vice Minister Lieutenant General Huang You-Min, and Director of Legal Affairs Lieutenant General Shen Shih-Wei, joined Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-Ling, Judicial Administration Department Director Cheng Yi-Yi, and Deputy Minister of Justice Huang Mou-Hsin, among others, to jointly unveil the plaques.
In his remarks, Minister Ku stated that to strengthen the military personnel rights protection system and integrate existing redress procedures, the Ministry of National Defense completed amendments to the Armed Forces Discipline Act and enacted the Military Personnel Rights Incidents Handling Act in 2024. The ministry has actively promoted regulatory reviews, educational outreach, and court preparations, demonstrating its commitment to continuously deepening human rights protections within the military.
Minister Ku noted that both laws will take effect on August 6 this year. In the future, the discipline and redress systems will better align with the principles of the rule of law, balancing unit leadership and soldiers’ rights, further strengthening institutionalized and law-based mechanisms for military management and rights protection.
Minister Ku further explained that the “Soldiers’ Rights Protection Committee” established at regional military courts comprises defense legal officers and rights protection committee members, including impartial societal figures and expert scholars, tasked with reviewing soldiers’ rights redress cases to enhance institutional fairness and transparency. Following the implementation of the Military Personnel Rights Incidents Handling Act, ROC Armed Forces personnel dissatisfied with administrative decisions regarding status changes, public-law property claims, rewards, punishments, or performance evaluations may directly file for review with the “Soldiers’ Rights Protection Committee” at regional military courts. For other matters, such as denied training or overseas applications, personnel must first file a complaint with their original unit; if still dissatisfied with the outcome, they may file a secondary appeal with the Rights Protection Committee.
Minister Ku mentioned that if personnel are dissatisfied with the review or secondary appeal outcomes of the Rights Protection Committee, they may file an administrative lawsuit with the Military High Court Service Tribunal, where cases will be adjudicated by military judges, with subsequent appeals possible to the High Administrative Court. This comprehensive system establishes a clear and distinct redress framework, implementing rule of law and human rights protections within the military.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Minister Ku inspected the Military Justice Historical Museum and the Service Tribunal, gaining an on-site understanding of the evolution of military justice and tribunal operations. He encouraged legal personnel to continue strengthening their professionalism and upholding the rule of law, taking concrete actions to implement the transformation of the military justice system, and working together to build a reliable human rights protection mechanism for the ROC Armed Forces, ensuring that every soldier’s rights are duly protected.