司法院大法官會議第457號解釋 (J.Y. Interpretation No. 457)

The Regulations for the Handling of the Government Owned Housing and Farmlands Vacated by Married Veterans after Their Hospitalization, Retirement or Death distributes plots of state farmland to veterans. Section 4-III of the Regulations provides, “If the surviving spouse of the deceased veteran remarries but without issue or has only daughter(s), the land and housing shall be reclaimed unconditionally upon the marriage of the daughter(s); and the rights of the veteran may be inherited by his son, if any.” The Court explained that the government can allow a veteran’s surviving dependents to continue using and farming the state land distributed to veterans, and can extend the term “dependents” to a veteran’s children. In doing so, however, the government should consider the children’s ability to earn a living and cultivate the land, and must keep in mind the principle of gender equality enshrined in Article 7 of the Constitution and Article 10-VI of the Amendments to the Constitution. The Court held that Section 4-III of the Regulations violates this principle because it limits the right of inheritance of a deceased veteran to the veteran’s son without regard to the son’s ability or marital status. Thus, the Court held that Section 4-III of the Regulations discriminates against a specific group of women on the premise of marital status and sex. As such, the Court held that the government must revise Section 4-III of the Regulations to remove the discriminatory provision.

行政院國軍退除役官兵輔導委員會發布之「本會各農場有眷場員就醫、就養或死亡開缺後房舍土地處理要點」第4條第3項規定：「死亡場員之遺眷如改嫁他人而無子女者或僅有女兒，其女兒出嫁後均應無條件收回土地及眷舍，如有兒子准由兒子繼承其權利」。法院解釋認為，政府可以允許退除役官兵的遺眷繼續使用和耕種分配給該退除役官兵的國有土地，並可以將「遺眷」一詞擴大解釋至該退除役官兵的子女。然而，於此同時，政府應考慮該子女的謀生和耕種能力，並且必須謹記憲法第7條和憲法增修條文第10條第6項規定的性別平等原則。法院認為，該要點第4條第3項規定違反了此一原則，因為其將已故退除役官兵的繼承權限制在退伍軍人的兒子身上，且不考慮兒子的謀生和耕種能力或婚姻狀況。因此，法院認為，該要點第4條第3項規定以婚姻狀況和性別為前提，歧視特定婦女群體。於此情況下，法院認為，政府必須修正該要點第4條第3項規定以刪除歧視條文。