Lai In-jaw

Lai In-jaw is a Taiwanese politician and jurist who was the former president of the Judicial Yuan as well as Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. He was the senior advisor to President Chen Shui-bian for a short time before taking his position in the Judicial Yuan.

Early life and education

Lai was born in Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County. As a child, his father gifted him a copy of Three Hundred Tang Poems, which he memorized. He achieved outstanding grades in primary school and enrolled in a five-year degree program at the Taiwan Provincial Ilan School of Agriculture and Forestry (now National Ilan University). After graduating, he completed mandatory military service in the Republic of China Armed Forces and simultaneously studied for the college entrance exam.

Upon finishing military service, Lai was admitted to study law at National Chung Hsing University, where he attended night classes, worked for the National Youth Division of Taiwan and the Taipei City Government, and graduated as valedictorian.

Career

Lai taught at the College of Law and Business, National Chung Hsing University (now National Taipei University) from 1981 to 1984. After that, he took up various government posts in the Ministry of Finance. In October 2000 during the first term of President Chen Shui-bian, he became the Vice Premier under Premier Chang Chun-hsiung. He was succeeded by Lin Hsin-i in February 2002.

Appointed by President Chen in 2007, Lai was promoted to the president of Judicial Yuan, after serving as a judge since 2003. He stepped down in July 2010 as a result of corruption scandal among four judges of Taiwan Higher Court. He turned down the offer of senior advisors to the office of the president of the Republic of China in the same year.

Lai now serves as a lecture professor of National Chung Hsing University, National Taipei University and Chung Yuan Christian University.