Cho Hee-dae warns ‘judicial review petition’ bill will cause “tremendous harm to the public”

Financial News – As the ruling party, including the Democratic Party of Korea, pushed through a package of judicial reform bills that would allow judicial review petitions, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae of the Supreme Court of Korea once again voiced his concerns.
Speaking to reporters on his way to work on the 12th about the Judicial Reform Bill that cleared the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee the previous day, Cho Hee-dae said, “The outcome is an issue that will cause tremendous harm to the public.”
The previous day, the ruling party pushed a bill to amend the Constitutional Court Act through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The core of the bill is to allow parties who disagree with final Supreme Court of Korea rulings to file judicial review petitions with the Constitutional Court of Korea. Some academics and opposition figures have protested, arguing that this would in effect create a four‐tier court system. Under the current Constitution, the Supreme Court is designated as the highest court, and avenues for challenging court decisions end there. Although the National Court Administration and the Ministry of Justice had both expressed concern about such amendments, the bill was ultimately passed. Along with the Constitutional Court amendment, the ruling party also passed a bill to amend the Court Organization Act to increase the number of Supreme Court justices.
Cho Hee-dae stated, “As I have said many times, this is an issue that forms a major pillar of our Constitution and national legal order, so it should only be decided after sufficient deliberation through public debate,” adding, “The Supreme Court will continue to consult with the National Assembly and work to persuade it.”
Regarding the next steps, Cho Hee-dae said, “This is not the final conclusion yet,” and added, “In the meantime, we will consolidate the Supreme Court’s position, convey it, and continue consultations.”
On the proposed ‘judicial distortion’ offense, which would punish judges, prosecutors, and others who intentionally distort legal principles or fabricate facts, and which is awaiting a plenary vote, Cho Hee-dae briefly commented, “That issue is also a serious matter that harms the judicial order and the public, so we will continue to hold discussions.”
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter