In response to the resolutions of the 2017 National Conference on Judicial Reform regarding the examination and recruitment of legal professionals, the draft of the "Regulations on Qualifications and Appointment of Legal Professionals" under the new system was submitted to the Legislative Yuan by the Examination Yuan for review on January 26th, 2022. The draft stipulates that the Ministry of Justice may commission this Academy to carry out one year of practical training, including judicial practice and lawyer practice. To observe and investigate the Practice Legal Training (PLT) system for law graduates in Australia, President Li-Ling KER, along with mentors Jo-Ping WU and Che-Chun CHU, led a delegation to Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney from June 3rd to 11th, 2023.
Australia operates under a common law system, which is different from the civil law system in our country. Therefore, this visit aimed to gain different insights into the training system for legal practitioners in the field of judicial practice in Australia. It also aimed to establish connections with Australian institutions involved in criminal research. In Melbourne, the Academy paid visits to the Melbourne Law School and the Judicial College of Victoria. In Canberra, the Academy engaged with the National Judicial College of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the Australian Institute of Criminology, the ANU College of Law, and the ACT Supreme Court. In Sydney, the Academy met with the Australian Bar Association and the Office of The Director of Public Prosecutions NSW.
The Academy for the Judiciary’s visit to Australia aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the legal talent development system in the country from both academic and practical perspectives. Discussions and exchanges were conducted on topics such as artificial intelligence and judicial ethics, providing valuable insights that will inspire the Academy's curriculum planning and the development of practical learning content in the new program. Additionally, this visit served as an opportunity to establish connections and foster international collaborations between the Academy and foreign legal institutions, opening up possibilities for future international cooperation.