Article 1


The public defenders are designated to High Court and its subordinate courts and branch courts.


Article 2


For a criminal litigation, unless a public defender is appointed in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 31, Section 1, a defendant may request the court verbally or in writing for the appointment of a public defender to defend him or her in court.

The court shall appoint a public defender to the defendant who is indigent to afford an attorney and applies to the court for the appointment of a public defender.

The court may appoint an attorney to defend the defendant with fees paid when it is necessary.


Article 3


For the case that is ordered by the Supreme Court to go verbal argument, a defendant who is indigent to hire an attorney in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 389, Section 2, may apply to the Supreme Court to order the subordinate court to appoint a public defender for defense.


Article 4


A public defender may not be a retained lawyer.


Article 5


A public defender may not take any compensation from defendants.


Article 6


A public defender is to perform duty in the designated jurisdiction.


Article 7


The appointed public defender of district courts and branch courts must be with one of the following qualifications:

1. Passed the Public Defender Test.

2. With the qualification of a judge of district courts or branch courts, or, with the qualification of a public prosecutor of the prosecutor's office in the district courts or branch courts.

3. Passed the Bar Test and with over three years of practice in law outstandingly and with a qualification of intermediate level of civil service system.

4. Passed Military Judge (including Military Prosecutor) Test and assumed the position of military judges or prosecutors with intermediate level of civil service system for over four years outstandingly.

The public defender rules are stipulated by Judicial Yuan.


Article 8


The chief pubic defender of district courts and branch courts shall be selected from the candidates who have been a public defender in district courts or branch courts for over five years outstandingly.

The pubic defender of the High Court and branch courts shall be selected from the candidates who have been a chief public defender in district courts or branch courts for over two years or a public defender for over seven years outstandingly.

The chief pubic defender of the High Court and branch courts shall be selected from the candidates who have been a public defender in High Court or branch courts for over five years outstandingly.


Article 9


If there are over two public defenders delegated, one of them will be the chief public defender to supervise and assign job responsibility for defense.


Article 10


The public defenders of district courts and branch courts are, within civil service system, between the seventh and ninth grade of intermediate level; also, the chief public defenders are the ninth grade of intermediate level or between the tenth and eleventh grade of senior level.

The public defenders of High Court and branch courts are, within civil service system, between the tenth and eleventh grade of senior level or are the ninth grade of intermediate level; also, the chief public defenders are between the tenth and twelfth grade of senior level.


Article 11


The remuneration of a public defender is distributed by referring to the remuneration of a judge and a prosecutor.


Article 12


A public defender is to conduct job responsibility independently from the execution of judges or prosecutors.


Article 13


A public defender is obliged to defend the defendant in a case assigned by court and shall, to his best, collect material evidences favorable to the defendant.


Article 14


A public defender is obliged to have the assigned case processed with integrity and honesty.


Article 15


A public defender shall have the legal process and relevant information documented for record.


Article 16


A public defender shall prepare the written statement for the assigned lawsuit and present to the court.


Article 17


If an appeal is filed for the case assigned to the public defender, he or she shall prepare the appeal statement or written argument upon the request of the defendant.


Article 18


A public defender shall have the lawsuit paper or papers compiled into a file.


Article 19


A public defender shall have a monthly report prepared for the lawsuits assigned and have the monthly report presented to the Judicial Yuan through the President of the court. The format of the monthly report is to be regulated by the Judicial Yuan.


Article 20


Public defenders shall be cooperative in collecting information for defense.


Article 21


The Code of Court Organization Article 110, Article 112, and Article 113 are applicable mutatis mutandis to public defenders.


Article 22


Public defenders will not be affected by Article 21 of this Act in performing duty.


Article 23


The effective date of this Act is to be regulated by the order of Judicial Yuan.