2.4 Promoting equal access to the justice system Reason for selection 1. Effective access to justice is a topic discussed in multiple covenants. The concluding observations on Taiwan’s national reports on CEDAW, the CRC, and the CRPD all include recommendations regarding this topic. Significance 2. 1) Reviewing the interpreting services provided in Taiwan’s justice system to ensure that people of different races, ethnicities, and classes are treated equally in a court of law; coordinating with government agencies to improve interpreting services. 2) Working with the Judicial Yuan and Ministry of Justice to implement an effective counsel/public defender assignment system to safeguard the human rights of criminal defendants. 3. Expected outcomes: 1) Providing recommendations for improving the interpreting service in Taiwan’s justice system. 2) Providing recommendations for the counsel/public defender assignment system. 38