Taiwan High Court revises defamation sentences for media personalities

The Taiwan High Court has issued a second-instance verdict in a high-profile defamation and privacy violation case involving media personalities Zhou Yukou and Tsai Yu-chen. The case originated during the 2022 Taipei mayoral election when the defendants made claims regarding the personal life of Chang Shu-chuan, alleging a past relationship between her and Chiang Hsiao-yen, the father of current Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an.

The court overturned the original first-instance ruling, which had sentenced both women to 18 months in prison. The new ruling sentences Zhou Yukou to nine months in prison without the option to pay a fine in lieu of incarceration. Tsai Yu-chen received a reduced sentence of six months, which allows for the conversion of the prison term into a fine of 180,000 TWD.

The court noted that the original sentencing was unusually high compared to similar cases. Chang Shu-chuan, the plaintiff, has criticized the defendants for failing to take true responsibility for their actions. Both defendants maintain their positions, and the case may still be appealed to the Supreme Court.