The Impact of Forest Act Amendments on Marginalized Groups in Taiwan

• In Event: Global Perspectives on Law, Inequality, and Punitive Governance

Abstract

On April 3, 2015, the Legislative Yuan passed the amendments to Articles 50 and 52 of the Forest Act in their third reading. The amendments aimed to impose stricter penalties on individuals convicted of stealing Taiwan’s precious tree species. This examines whether the enforcement of the revised Forest Act has contributed to stigmatizing or labeling marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous people and Vietnamese defendants. By analyzing 1,148 defendants convicted in 2015 and 2018, this study assesses whether there are significant differences in judicial outcomes among non-indigenous Taiwanese, indigenous Taiwanese, and Vietnamese groups. The results indicate that Vietnamese defendants received longer sentences than Taiwanese defendants. Additionally, repeat offenders were less likely to receive lighter sentences, such as probation and fines. However, indigenous Taiwanese were not sentenced differently than non-indigenous Taiwanese. Based on these findings, this study offers recommendations for future amendments to the Forest Act and related policies.

Authors

• Lan-Ying Huang, National Taipei University, Taiwan

• Meng-Ru Shih, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

• Shiang-Fan Chen, National Taipei University, Taiwan