Frequently Asked Questions

• Publication Date： 2025-09-01
• Last updated：2025-09-01
• View count：52

1. What should I do if I have not received a court hearing notice for a long time and need to report relevant information?
   
   A: Case proceedings are handled by the assigned prosecutor, who will assess the case based on the circumstances and act in accordance with their authority. If you have relevant information to report such as address changed or need to inquire about the progress of your case, please submit a written statement to the assigned prosecutor.The written statement should clearly indicate information that facilitates case identification, such as the case number, section, name of the plaintiff or defendant, and the nature of the case.Templates for various types of statements are available at the Service Center, and our staff will assist you in completing the forms if needed.

2. How can litigants check the progress of their cases?
   
   A:(1)You may bring your ID card to the service center to inquire about your case number and section. Alternatively, you may submit a written request. Please make sure to include sufficient information in your written statement, such as the case number, section, names of the plaintiff or defendant, and the nature of the case.
   (Related forms may be downloaded and printed from the Office’s website)
   (2) For telephone inquiries, please refer to Column 3 (“Case Number/Nature of Case”) of your subpoena. It lists the main phone number of the Office and the extension number of the section in charge. You may directly contact the clerk of the relevant section from the number.

3. What should I do when the address of service of the litigant is changed?
   
   A: If a court date has already been scheduled, you may directly inform the judge or prosecutor of your new service address during the hearing. You may also submit a written statement indicating any changes to your address or name before the hearing. The statement should include the case number, the section of the court or prosecutor’s office in charge and be submitted by mail or fax to the court or district prosecutors office. (Sample forms are available for download on the Ministry of Justice’s online public service portal under “Application for Change of Service Address.” After completing the form, please send it to the Prosecutors Office.)Alternatively, you may notify the assigned court clerk by phone. The clerk will prepare a telephone record and submit it to the judge or prosecutor for their reference.

4. What should I do if the Autopsy Certificate issued by the Prosecutor or Prosecutorial Investigator is insufficient for use?
   
   A:(1) Online Application:
   Application Path: Official Website of the Keelung Prosecutors Office → Public Services → Online Application System → “Non-Certificate” Online Application → First Instance Application → Application for Reissuance of the Autopsy Certificate.
   (2) In-Person Application at the Public Service Center:
   Please bring the original Autopsy Certificate and your identification documents (National ID Card or Household Registration Transcript) to the Public Service Center of this Office.Fill out the "Application Form for Reissuance of the Certificate of the Autopsy Certificate."
   Once reviewed and approved by the Service Center, the document copy will be stamped with the official seal of this Office by the Seal imprint room and issued on the spot. The stamped copy will be deemed equivalent to the original for all official purposes.
   (3) Application at a Different District Prosecutors Office:
   If more than 10 days have passed since the original Certificate of the Autopsy Certificate was issued by the original District Prosecutors Office, the deceased's family members may apply for additional copies at any District Prosecutors Office.
   Applicants must bring the original certificate and identification documents, and complete the "Application Form for Reissuance of the Autopsy Certificate" at the Service Center.
   An in-office prosecutor will verify the applicant’s relationship to the deceased and the intended use of the document. Upon approval, the certificate will be issued.
   If a person other than a family member is applying on behalf of the family, they must present the original certificate, valid ID documents of both the applicant and the authorized representative, and a letter of authorization.
   
   
5. To request the removal of a watch-listed bank account, which agency should I apply to?
   
   A: A “watch-listed bank account” is a warning remark made by the police during criminal investigations, based on the “Regulations Governing the Deposit Accounts and Suspicious or Unusual Transactions”. If your account was remarked as watch-listed account due to involvement in a legal case, you may apply to remove the remark after the case concludes. The account holder may prepare the final non-prosecution letter, deffered prosecution letter, (with proof of completion of all required conditions) or the court judgement ( If the judgment was a conviction, proof of sentence completion is also required) and submit them to the original reporting agency. Once approved, the reporting agency will notify the bank to remove the remark. If the required legal documents have been lost, you may request a reissue from the court or prosecutor’s office..
   
   
6.  What is the procedure for attorney to examine records? How long does it take?
   
   A: When a final judgement or a non-prosecutorial disposition was made, if the litigant has need to motion for a retrial, apply extraordinary appeal or set the case to trial, the attorney may apply to this Office for access to examine records. Upon receiving the application, the assigned section will retrieve the files and submit them for review through the internal approval process. The request will be assessed in accordance with the "Guidelines for Attorney to Examine Records in the Prosecutors Office." If the request meets the criteria, the division will notify the attorney to schedule a date for on-site review.

7. In cases where evidence or seized items were submitted during the investigation, and a non-prosecution decision has been finalized
   
   A: (1) Even if a case ends with a finalized non-prosecution decision, the seized items must still be reviewed to determine whether they are prohibited items or subject to mandatory forfeiture by law.
   If so, the prosecutor is required to file a separate motion with the court for a confiscation order. These items cannot be returned.
   (2) If the seized items are not illegal, not subject to mandatory forfeiture, and not voluntarily abandoned by the owner, the assigned section will initiate the return process after the case is finalized. Alternatively, the litigation may file a written application for return. However, return may still be postponed if it is required by law, a motion for trial has been filed, or the items are needed for investigation in another case or for another defendant.
   (3)If the applicant is unable to retrieve the items in person, they may appoint a representative. In that case, a letter of authorization and the representative’s National ID Card are required.

8. What types of cases during the investigation stage are eligible for legal aid?
   
   A: According to Article 13 of the Legal Aid Act, persons who are indigent, or are unable to receive proper legal protections for other reasons may apply for legal aid. Furthermore, according to Article 31, Paragraph 5, where the accused is unable to make a complete statement due to mental disorder or the accused is an aborigine, the presiding judge shall appoint a public defender or attorney for the defendant. However, if the defense attorney is not present after more than a four-hour wait, the interrogation or questioning may be commenced. Therefore, persons without sufficient financial means—including low-income households, middle-to-low-income households, aboriginals, or others legally eligible under applicable regulations—may request legal aid. If the accused or suspect, who is unable to make a complete statement due to mental disorder or other mental deficiencies, or who is an aborigine, has not retained a defense attorney during an investigation, the prosecutor, judicial police officer, or judicial police should notify a legally established legal aid agency to assign an attorney for the accused's or suspect's defense. 

9. Can I authorize others for application to convert imprisonment into fine?
   
   A: In cases allowed to convert imprisonment into fine, if the sentenced person is unable to appear in person due to being abroad for an extended period, working on a distant-sea fishing vessel, or suffering from a serious illness as certified by a physician, their spouse, a blood relative within three degrees, or an in-law within two degrees of kinship may apply on their behalf. Proof of the convicted person's inability to appear in person and documentation verifying the family relationship between the representative and the convicted person are required.
   
   
10. Under what circumstances shall a District Prosecutors Office prosecutor consider a case conclusion?
    
    A: A case handled by a public prosecutor at the District Prosecutors Office shall be reported as concluded under any of the following circumstances:
    General investigation cases and juvenile criminal cases:
    When the prosecutor has: Filed a prosecution, issued a non-prosecution disposition, issued a deferred prosecution disposition, issued a warrant of arrest, petitioned for transfer of jurisdiction to another District Prosecutors Office, petitioned for consolidation of cases at the court, referred a drug abuse case for compulsory rehabilitation, returned a fraud-related case involving only the provision of bank accounts or mobile phone numbers, where the police failed to transfer the case to the competent District Prosecutors Office based on the defendant’s domicile or residence, and the case has been re-transferred and a copy notification has been received, or otherwise concluded the case through appropriate disposition..

11. Why are certain complaints or accusations processed as “Ta” cases?
    
    A: (1) According to the "Guidelines for Handling “Ta” Cases by District Prosecutors Offices and Their Branches under the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office," a complaint or accusation may be classified and handled as a “Ta” case if the identity of the complainant or informant is unclear or unverifiable or the facts alleged in the complaint and accusation are vague or do not clearly point to a specific suspect with criminal suspicion. Additionally, if the complainant is a habitual filer of reports that have previously been found to be unsubstantiated, resulted in acquittals, or led to non-prosecution decisions, and has filed repeated similar complaints, may also be handled as “Ta” cases.
    (2) A case classified as “Ta” may be directly concluded by a prosecutor under any of the following circumstances:
    ※The complaint is anonymous and lacks specific content
    ※The same facts have already been assigned to or concluded in a prior case, and are being reported again
    ※The facts or content of the report are clearly unrelated to any criminal offense
    ※The facts or allegations described are fictitious or objectively impossible
    ※The complaint challenges actions taken by a public official in the lawful execution of duties, without any concrete allegations of criminal conduct or supporting evidence;
    ※The complainant whose prior reports have consistently been found to be false, unsubstantiated, or have already resulted in acquittals or non-prosecution, yet continues to file repetitive complaints.
    
    
12. What approach can I take if I do not accept the non-prosecution conclusion after receiving the non-prosecution letter？
    
    A:When a prosecutor issues a non-prosecution disposition in a case eligible for reconsideration, the complainant, upon receiving the letter of nonprosecution, may submit a written statement within the statutory period describing the reasons in detail for his or her dissatisfaction and request reconsideration by the chief procurator of the procuratorate directly superior to the original investigating prosecutor.
    If the reconsideration is dismissed as groundless, and the complainant disagrees with the dismissal, they may, within the statutory period after acceptance of a disposition, appoint an attorney to submit a written statement of reasons to the competent court of first instance, petitioning for a trial to be initiated.

13. What approach can a complainant or victim take if they do not accept the court judgement?
    
    A: A complainant or victim who does not accept the court judgement. The statutory period is twenty days, starting from the date the judgment service.

14. Where should one file applications for an indictment, a non-prosecution letter, a case-closure certificate, a request for execution of a sentence, a request for rescheduling, a request to summon witnesses/experts, a request to lift a travel ban, a request to pay a fine in lieu of imprisonment, a request for a stay of execution, a request for installment payments, a request for the return of bail, or a request for the return of confiscated evidence, among others?
    
    A:You may file your application at the Service Center of our office, where application forms are available. If you are unable to apply in person, you may download the relevant application forms from our website, fill them out, and mail them to our office Alternatively, you may apply directly online through our single application portal or via the Ministry of Justice’s Online Public Service System.

15. How can litigation paper and application forms be obtained?
    
    A: The Ministry of Justice provides sample litigation documents and application forms, which you can download from the Ministry of Justice’s Online E-service website.

16. Are there free legal counseling provided?
    
    A: Based on the principle of serving the public through justice, our office has established a Service Center on the first floor of the Judicial Building to provide legal consultation services to the public. In addition to assisting and guiding citizens with matters related to litigation procedures, the Service Center also offers various sample litigation documents free of charge. Furthermore, to safeguard the public’s legal rights, the center provides legal consultation under partnership with the Keelung Bar Association to help citizens resolve legal issues.

17. Where can I seek support if there are questions to ask about the legal procedure?
    
    A: Legal assistance for those unfamiliar with legal procedures is available at the service centers of district courts and district prosecutor's offices. For specific legal case inquiries, please consult the legal service society at various universities or the Keelung branch of the Legal Aid Foundation. A list of the foundation's legal consultation locations can be found at: http://www.laf.org.tw/index.php?action=apply_detail&p=1&id=703

18. After reporting to the police, filing a lawsuit, or submitting a complaint, can one inquire about the case assignment?
    
    A: If the police have confirmed that a case has been transferred to this office for investigation, it will generally be assigned within 10 days to the prosecutor in charge. The plaintiff or defendant may then visit the Service Center of this office with their ID card and the following relevant information to inquire about the case: (1)For cases transferred by the police: Provide the date of transfer, the transfer document number, and the name of the defendant. (2)For cases where a complaint or lawsuit was filed: State the date the complaint or lawsuit was submitted and provide the name of the defendant.