臺灣的民主與人權水準，在2008年的急遽倒退狀態，是有待做出更多分析檢討的現象。本文轉用法釋義學中，對人權侵害的侵害源分析方法，針對年度十大人權新聞進行分析，指出最主要的直接侵害源為警察與廣義的司法權，尤其是檢察權。並進而探討指出憲政體制失衡，反對黨力量的衰弱，中國因素，以及馬政府的遲鈍愚魯，是造成此一現象的四大間接侵害源。本文最後提出，由於造成人權倒退的主要原因短期內難以改變，因此臺灣的民主與人權前景，需要透過公民社會的團結自救來維護。

There is an urgent need to analyze thoroughly the serious setbacks of democracy and human rights Taiwan experienced in 2008. This article takes the ten most important human rights cases and assesses possible infringement, and regretfully, the conclusion is reached that the police and the judicial authorities, particularly the court prosecution officials, are the two major direct sources for the regression. Furthermore, four major indirect sources for these violations are identified, being the malfunction of constitutional checks and balances, the political weakening of the Democratic Progressive Party who serves as a watchdog to the Kuomintang, the China factor and the insensitivity of the Ma administration to human rights infringements. Finally, the article argues that owing to the fact that the major identifiable setbacks can hardly be altered in the near future, it is up to civil society to take unified action and become the primary guardian for democracy and human rights in Taiwan.