The High Prosecutors Office has organized and established the Service Center in accordance with relevant tasks; it also set up a ‘One-stop Window’ on the ground floor of its building. Personnel are selected to answer questions, receive documents and complaints, assist in various claims and accept allegations of serious crimes from victims.

Organization of the Execution Team at the High Prosecutor Office Service Center:

a、One Director is assigned to the “Service Center”. Three Divisional Chief Prosecutors from the High Prosecutor’s Office serve concurrently by turns each season (the seasonal shifts are simultaneous with shift arrangements of the ‘Inspection Work List’ from each prosecutor office in areas under the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutor Office. The director is responsible for accepting interview requests from the Public, interviewing with senior officers, or answering questions from the Clerk of Prosecution in place of the Public (when Sections and Offices cannot provide appropriate information.).

b、The Service Center also has a Clerk of Prosecution concurrently served by Clerks. The Clerk of Prosecution is responsible for answering questions from the Public and assisting in handling all kinds of claims. The Chief of Research and Evaluation may also take this position.

c、The Chief of Staff in the Service Center is a Clerk. The job is essentially a superintendent, requiring planning, reviewing and involvement in any service provided. Chiefs from all Sections and Offices can be Officers. Their duty is to support the Clerk of Prosecution at any time and provide services and answers in regard to any work, as well as further steps required to solve problems.

A Brief introduction to the One Stop Window at the Service Center

One – The Goal

To increase administration efficiency of government offices at all levels, improve service attitude of Civil Servants and bring Taiwan up to international standards; in order to establish an internationalized environment, the Executive Yuan commissioned the “Overall Service Quality Improvement Project” and the “Project to Create a Bilingual Environment” in particular to request each government organization to make all affairs in relation to social welfare, bilingual. According to these two projects, the Ministry of Justice also drafted the “Improvement of Public Trust and Amicable Image of Inspection and Investigation Institutions Project” and the “Plan to Build a Bilingual Environment and Review Procedure Service” requesting that each inspection and investigation institution build a superior judiciary prestige, execute administration reform, enhance working efficiency and service to the Public with thoughtfulness, attentive planning and sincere service to countrymen and foreigners.

Two – Current status of measures to offer greater convenience to the Public

A、 Organization of the Service Center

a、The “Service Center” has a Director who is served by the Divisional Chief Prosecutor from the High Prosecutor’s Office concurrently. The Chief Secretary is the Chief of Staff; its Officers are Chiefs from all Sections and Offices, they support the Clerk of Prosecution at any time and provide services and answers with regard to any issue, or further steps required to solve problems.

b、The Chief Prosecutor of the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office is particularly concerned with the “Service Center”. It is the Chief Prosecutor’s responsibility to assign a senior, outstanding and compassionate Clerk to conduct litigation related guidance and assistance. The Clerk is able to answer questions orally, assist in phone inquiries, compose legal documents for others and provide related services with an affable manner and sincere words. Thorough answers and devoted service have received significant praise.

c、The “White book of the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office to offer service to the Public” was drafted and issued internally and put on the website to notify fellow workers and the Public of goals and service. All employees are expected to follow the guidelines and bring the spirit of amity and care into all cases.

d、Employees are encouraged to “improve their English ability”. Weekly English listening comprehension training and English broadcasts are methods that are used to assist with internationalization, enabling employees to serve foreigners.

B、 Facility Enhancement

a、Service desks and counters should have workers’ Chinese/ English names and their service hours. Computers, direct phone lines and fax machines have also been set up to cut inquiry time. Templates of legal documents and complaints, a copy facility, water, newspapers, writing implements and courtesy glasses are also provided for the convenience of the concerned parties.

b、The Service Center has obvious routes, clearly marked. The outside area is clean and the yard is green and well maintained. Parking locations and overall planning is spacious and comfortable.

c、A giant flow chart of listing major is displayed on the wall at the west exit of the office building, so that people know the status of their cases and the order of procedures. Additionally, outside the elevators on each floor is a Layout Map of each Section and the Offices in both English and Chinese, as well as signs to provide convenience and guides to the Public.

d、There is special access for the disabled, service bells and a guide system for blind people. Bells are set up at the west exits of the building, which are directly linked to the Bailiff’s Office. Wheelchairs are also available for visitors who require them.

e、The Taiwan High Prosecutors Offices takes the concerns of victims of crimes into account; “The Act to Protect Victims of Significant Crimes” was implemented in 1998. A window has been specially set up for victims of significant crimes at the Service Center; the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office handles such complaints conscientiously and efficiently. A “Special Investigation Room” has also been set up to allow victims of serious crimes to avoid meeting with defendants. A “Lounge for the Concerned Party” and “Defendants and Victims Waiting Room” have also been established to minimize contact, preventing awkwardness and pointless entanglements.

f、The [Nursery Room] was set up to provide women and children a convenient place to rest and breast feed.

g、The [Archive Reading and Information Center] was set up to provide an opportunity to compare and read.

C、 Improvement of All Services

a、Request for resolution or filing cases of appeals by the concerned party, the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office will notify the petitioner results by announcements and official letters within a day of request.

b、For not guilty, dismissed, or rejected cases, the prosecutor will notify plaintiffs by correspondence soon after the expiration of the period of appeal, provided that the prosecutor maintains the initial verdict is free from infraction. This provides early notice to the plaintiffs, decreasing the possibility of fraud. For other kinds of appeals, the petitioner will be notified immediately regardless of acceptance or rejection.

c、To hold and enhance close communication with the prosecutors of the first trial verdict. During cross examination, prosecutors of the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office will do their best, to take care as much as possible, to handle their cases by continuously communicating with the prosecutors and search for any possible evidence.

d、To appropriately deal with pleas. The Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office respects pleas lodged; it has specifically assigned three senior Divisional Chief Prosecutors to deal with Research and Evaluation in regard to such cases (that need to be closed in one month). The undertaker will conduct reasonable and appropriate handling of replies to such pleas.

e、To thoroughly implement the [Standards of Telephone Etiquette to be followed by the Ministry of Justice]. The Ministry of Justice will randomly select and test its affiliated institutions and announce test results. It will also send out testing tape to each institution, so that those test results can be taken into consideration for the year end evaluation. The Clerk should randomly test fellow workers on a regular basis and record the results.

f、To set up a website (in both Chinese and English) to provide the Public diversified services. The website for Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office contains sections to introduce the Organization, Location, Main Business Affairs, Law Issues Propagation & Information, Updated News and Statistics of Cases.

g、To establish e-counter for an electronic one stop window. Since March 2002, the start of [My E-Government] and [The E-Government Entry Point of Taiwan] allows the Public to conduct related issues on the Internet. Although government affairs of the Kaohsiung Branch, Taiwan High Prosecutors Office are not difficult, the Public can handle related issues at home by providing various application forms on line to offer a number of options.

h、Set up communication channels through an “Email Box” and “Suggestions Box”. Suggestions and complaints from the Public will be accessed and handled by specialized personnel.

i、Deal with matters related to news releases. The Divisional Chief Prosecutor will be the Spokesman. Releases will follow the “Guidelines for Prosecutors, Police and Investigation Institutions to Release News with respect to the Investigation of Criminal Cases” and insist on the principle of “Investigation Non Disclosure” to arrange overall plans for media interviews and news release. Additionally, there will be two forums held with local media to maintain superior communication.

j、Conduct surveys. To improve prosecutors working manner and judiciary credibility, each year the Civil Service Unit surveys the Concerned Parties, defenders, deponents and accusers. The Research and Evaluation Section also conducts surveys in connection with appeals and investigations to ascertain the progress of such cases. Results of such surveys can be an important reference resource to improve professional shortcomings.

k、A File Reading function has also been added for the Public’s convenience.

Three – Expectations

There exist numerous services, due to changes of the times and environment and also because of the different needs and expectations of the Public, those services have not changed. It is important to take consideration of others’ expectations and thoughts to adjust services appropriately and the belief in “others’ convenience is our convenience”. Serving people under legal, fair and reasonable conditions remain our main goal.

＊ Website: http://www.ksh.moj.gov.tw/

＊ Service Center hotline: +886-7-5533951; +886-7-5524111#139

＊ Complaints Line: +886-7-5523710

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