TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Constitutional Court on Friday (July 19) granted a temporary injunction on controversial amendments passed in May to expand the powers of the Legislative Yuan.

The court’s decision amounted to a victory for the government, though the court still has to rule on the constitutionality of the amendments. 

Their approval by the opposition majority came amid scuffles between lawmakers, and large protests outside the Legislative Yuan. An attempt by the government to override the measures in a new vote on June 21 failed, leading to the referral to the court.

Friday’s court decision in favor of a temporary injunction means the amendments cannot be implemented until a final ruling on their constitutionality is issued, the Liberty Times reported. 

The injunction covered a State of the Nation address by the president with a requirement for them to answer questions from lawmakers, the introduction of the concept of “contempt of the Legislature,” and a range of investigative powers to be handed to the Legislative Yuan.

The court said it decided to approve the injunction because there was a possibility the amendments disrupted the balance of power between different bodies, as stipulated by the Constitution, per CNA.

A full-day hearing about the constitutionality issue was scheduled for Aug. 6, but no date for a final court ruling has been set. The discussions have pitted the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) against President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), the Cabinet, the Control Yuan, and the DPP legislative caucus.