Taipei Court Rules Lin Kuo-chun, Lu Ching-wei Not Liable in Chen Ting-fei Plagiarism Defamation Case
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei sued KMT's Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei for defamation, seeking NT$1.6 million in damages, after they accused her doctoral dissertation of plagiarism. The Taipei District Court ruled that Lin and Lu had fulfilled their reasonable due diligence and that Chen's dissertation had flaws in its citation format, making it subject to public criticism. Consequently, the court dismissed Chen's lawsuit, finding no liability for compensation on the part of Lin and Lu.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 18:33
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 19:02 (28 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 20:13 (1h 11m after Collected)
Taipei, April 15 (CNA) Former Kuomintang (KMT) deputy spokesperson Lu Ching-wei and councilor Lin Kuo-chun accused Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ting-fei's doctoral dissertation of plagiarism. Chen Ting-fei sued the two for defamation, seeking NT$1.6 million in joint compensation. The Taipei District Court ruled today that the two had exercised reasonable due diligence and dismissed Chen Ting-fei's lawsuit.
During his campaign for legislator in 2023, KMT New Taipei City Councilor Lin Kuo-chun, along with then-KMT Deputy Spokesperson and current Director of the Civil Affairs Department of Keelung City Government Lu Ching-wei, held a press conference accusing DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei's doctoral dissertation, "Research on Administrative Management Performance Measurement in Taiwan's Six Special Municipalities," from Chang Jung Christian University's Graduate Institute of Business and Management, of plagiarism.
Lu Ching-wei stated that Chen Ting-fei's doctoral dissertation had a plagiarism rate as high as 25%, with many instances of plagiarism without proper attribution. The two also criticized Chen Ting-fei with terms such as "plagiarism, illegal degree, intellectual theft, academic fraud group."
The Taipei District Court's judgment pointed out that Chen Ting-fei claimed Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei made false accusations for electoral manipulation, which not only harmed her character but also implicated innocent supervising professors. She argued that at the time, the institute's doctoral dissertations did not require a Turing originality comparison rate below 13%, and her dissertation had cited references in compliance with regulations.
Chen Ting-fei believed that Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei criticized her with extreme and unbearable language without verifying with Chang Jung Christian University whether her dissertation's citation methods were compliant, exceeding the scope of reasonable commentary. She sued the two for NT$1.6 million.
Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei countered that Chen Ting-fei is a five-term legislator, and her integrity, conduct, and public interest are highly relevant. They stated that her doctoral dissertation had multiple similarities with Wikipedia content, and they published their remarks after verifying through Turing comparison and other methods, fulfilling their reasonable due diligence obligation and constituting reasonable commentary.
After deliberation, the Taipei District Court judge ruled that although Chen Ting-fei's dissertation cited sources, the format of the citations was indeed improper and inconsistent with the citation format required by academic ethics, thus having flaws. Whether the dissertation appropriated others' creations is a matter of public comment. Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei had exercised reasonable due diligence, and even if their comments were sharp, Chen Ting-fei, as a public figure, should tolerate them. Therefore, the court ruled that the two were not required to pay compensation. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150415
During his campaign for legislator in 2023, KMT New Taipei City Councilor Lin Kuo-chun, along with then-KMT Deputy Spokesperson and current Director of the Civil Affairs Department of Keelung City Government Lu Ching-wei, held a press conference accusing DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei's doctoral dissertation, "Research on Administrative Management Performance Measurement in Taiwan's Six Special Municipalities," from Chang Jung Christian University's Graduate Institute of Business and Management, of plagiarism.
Lu Ching-wei stated that Chen Ting-fei's doctoral dissertation had a plagiarism rate as high as 25%, with many instances of plagiarism without proper attribution. The two also criticized Chen Ting-fei with terms such as "plagiarism, illegal degree, intellectual theft, academic fraud group."
The Taipei District Court's judgment pointed out that Chen Ting-fei claimed Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei made false accusations for electoral manipulation, which not only harmed her character but also implicated innocent supervising professors. She argued that at the time, the institute's doctoral dissertations did not require a Turing originality comparison rate below 13%, and her dissertation had cited references in compliance with regulations.
Chen Ting-fei believed that Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei criticized her with extreme and unbearable language without verifying with Chang Jung Christian University whether her dissertation's citation methods were compliant, exceeding the scope of reasonable commentary. She sued the two for NT$1.6 million.
Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei countered that Chen Ting-fei is a five-term legislator, and her integrity, conduct, and public interest are highly relevant. They stated that her doctoral dissertation had multiple similarities with Wikipedia content, and they published their remarks after verifying through Turing comparison and other methods, fulfilling their reasonable due diligence obligation and constituting reasonable commentary.
After deliberation, the Taipei District Court judge ruled that although Chen Ting-fei's dissertation cited sources, the format of the citations was indeed improper and inconsistent with the citation format required by academic ethics, thus having flaws. Whether the dissertation appropriated others' creations is a matter of public comment. Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei had exercised reasonable due diligence, and even if their comments were sharp, Chen Ting-fei, as a public figure, should tolerate them. Therefore, the court ruled that the two were not required to pay compensation. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150415
FAQ
Why did Chen Ting-fei file a lawsuit?
Chen Ting-fei sued Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei for defamation, seeking NT$1.6 million in damages, after they accused her doctoral dissertation of plagiarism.
What was the court's ruling?
The Taipei District Court dismissed Chen Ting-fei's lawsuit, ruling that Lin Kuo-chun and Lu Ching-wei had fulfilled their reasonable due diligence and that Chen's dissertation had flaws in its citation format, making it subject to public criticism.