Women and Justice: Keywords

Domestic Case Law

司法院大法官會議第457號解釋 (J.Y. Interpretation No. 457) Constitutional Court of Taiwan (1998)

Gender discrimination, Property and inheritance rights

The Regulations for the Handling of the Government Owned Housing and Farmlands Vacated by Married Veterans after Their Hospitalization, Retirement or Death distributes plots of state farmland to veterans. Section 4-III of the Regulations provides, “If the surviving spouse of the deceased veteran remarries but without issue or has only daughter(s), the land and housing shall be reclaimed unconditionally upon the marriage of the daughter(s); and the rights of the veteran may be inherited by his son, if any.” The Court explained that the government can allow a veteran’s surviving dependents to continue using and farming the state land distributed to veterans, and can extend the term “dependents” to a veteran’s children. In doing so, however, the government should consider the children’s ability to earn a living and cultivate the land, and must keep in mind the principle of gender equality enshrined in Article 7 of the Constitution and Article 10-VI of the Amendments to the Constitution. The Court held that Section 4-III of the Regulations violates this principle because it limits the right of inheritance of a deceased veteran to the veteran’s son without regard to the son’s ability or marital status. Thus, the Court held that Section 4-III of the Regulations discriminates against a specific group of women on the premise of marital status and sex. As such, the Court held that the government must revise Section 4-III of the Regulations to remove the discriminatory provision.

行政院國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會發布之「本會各農場有眷場員就醫、就養或死亡開缺後房舍土地處理要點」第4條第3項規定：「死亡場員之遺眷如改嫁他人而無子女者或僅有女兒，其女兒出嫁後均應無條件收回土地及眷舍，如有兒子准由兒子繼承其權利」。法院解釋認為，政府可以允許退除役官兵的遺眷繼續使用和耕種分配給該退除役官兵的國有土地，並可以將「遺眷」一詞擴大解釋至該退除役官兵的子女。然而，於此同時，政府應考慮該子女的謀生和耕種能力，並且必須謹記憲法第7條和憲法增修條文第10條第6項規定的性別平等原則。法院認為，該要點第4條第3項規定違反了此一原則，因為其將已故退除役官兵的繼承權限制在退伍軍人的兒子身上，且不考慮兒子的謀生和耕種能力或婚姻狀況。因此，法院認為，該要點第4條第3項規定以婚姻狀況和性別為前提，歧視特定婦女群體。於此情況下，法院認為，政府必須修正該要點第4條第3項規定以刪除歧視條文。

司法院大法官會議第666號解釋 (J.Y. Interpretation No. 666) Constitutional Court of Taiwan (2009)

Gender discrimination

Article 80, Section 1, Sub-section 1 of the Social Order Maintenance Act establishes administrative penalties of detention and a fine for any person who engages in sexual conduct or cohabitation with the intent of obtaining financial gain. The Court noted that a transaction for sexual conduct necessarily involves two people: the person engaging in the conduct with the intent of obtaining financial gain, and the other person who provides consideration for the conduct. The law at issue only punishes the former party by focusing on the subjective intent of the person seeking financial gain from the sexual transaction. The Court also noted that the former party is more likely to be female. Thus, the Court held that the law essentially targets and punishes females who participate in financial transactions for sex. As such, the Court held that the law’s focus on the subjective intent for financial gain violates the principle of gender equality in Article 7 of the Constitution. The Court decreed that the provision would become ineffective upon two years after the issuance of the decision.

社會秩序維護法第80條第1項第1款規定，任何以獲取經濟利益為目的之性行為或同居行為者，應處以拘留和罰鍰等行政罰。法院指出，性交易行為必然涉及兩個人：以獲取經濟利益為目的之行為人，以及為該行為提供對價的另一個人。此一規定只針對主觀上從性交易中尋求經濟利益的前者進行處罰，且前者更可能是女性。因此，法院認為，此一規定實質上是針對並懲罰那些參與性交易的女性。在這種情況下，法院認為，此一規定針對主觀上從性交易中尋求經濟利益者，與憲法第七條之平等原則有違，應自本解釋公布之日起至遲於二年屆滿時，失其效力。

司法院大法官會議第365號解釋 (J.Y. Interpretation No.365) Constitutional Court of Taiwan (1994)

Gender discrimination

Article 1089 of the Civil Code, which stipulates that in situations of parental disagreement in exercising parental rights over a minor, the father has the right of final decision, is in violation of both Article 7 of the Constitution (stating that both sexes are equal under the law) and Article 9 of the Amendment (eliminating sexual discrimination). Therefore, Article 1089 should be examined and amended. The current Article is void within two years of this interpretation.

民法第1089條規定，在父母對未成年人行使親權有分歧的情況下，父親有最終決定權。該規定既違反了憲法第7條（兩性在法律上平等），也違反了憲法增修條文第9條（消除性別歧視）規定。因此，民法第1089條應進行檢驗並修正，並應自本解釋公布之日起至遲於二年屆滿時，失其效力。

司法院大法官會議第410號解釋 (J.Y. Interpretation No.410) Supreme Court of Taiwan (1996)

Gender discrimination, Property and inheritance rights

A Supreme Court precedent from 1966 held that property obtained by a wife during the continuance of a marriage, but which cannot be proved separate property or contributed property, belongs to the husband. The amendment of the Civil Code in 1985 under the authority of Article 7 of the Constitution emphasizes gender equity and invalidates this Supreme Court precedent.

最高法院1966年的一個判例認為，妻子在婚姻存續期間獲得的財產，如果不能證明該財產是與原有財產分離的或妻子對其有貢獻，則該財產屬於丈夫。依憲法第7條規定，1985年修正後的民法強調性別平等，並不再援用最高法院此一判例。

Legislation

性別平等教育法 (Gender Equity Education Act) (2018)

Gender discrimination, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence and rape

The Gender Equity Education Act (the “GEEA”) aims to encourage respect for gender diversity, eliminate gender discrimination and promote substantive gender equality through education. The GEEA charges the competent authorities (as well as schools) with establishing gender equity education committees whose tasks include drafting regulations and policies, coordinating resources, supervising gender equity-related activities and promoting research and development of curricula, teaching and assessments. Under the GEEA, schools must provide a safe, gender-fair learning environment by respecting, giving due consideration to, and not discriminating against prospective students, students, faculty, and staff of different genders. Schools shall strive towards this objective by taking steps such as integrating gender equity education into their curriculum, providing gender equity education when training new staff members, reporting known incidents of sexual assault, sexual harassment or sexual bullying within 24 hours and promptly handling and investigating such cases. Schools and any principal, faculty or staff member found to be in violation of the GEEA may be subject to a fine. Persons may also be dismissed or discharged from employment.

性別平等教育法（即「GEEA」）旨在鼓勵尊重性別多樣性，消除性別歧視，並透過教育促進實質性別平等。性別平等教育法責成主管機關（以及學校）建立性別平等教育委員會，其任務包括擬定法規和政策，協調資源，監督與性別平等有關的活動，並促進課程、教學和評估的研究及發展。根據性別平等教育法，學校必須透過尊重、適當考慮及不歧視不同性別的潛在學生、學生、教職員工等方式，提供一個安全、性別平等的學習環境。學校應努力實現這一目標，採取的措施包括：將性別平等教育納入課程、在培訓新員工時提供性別平等教育、在24小時之內報告已知的性侵、性騷擾或性霸凌事件，並及時處理和調查此類案件。任何被發現違反性別平等教育法的學校、校長、教職員工可能會被處以罰鍰。該等人員也可能被開除或解聘。