Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on the 23rd reiterated his opposition to the so-called "three major judicial reform bills," which include provisions on judicial distortion crimes, constitutional complaints against court rulings, and increasing the number of Supreme Court justices.
"These bills would fundamentally alter the judicial system framework that has been maintained for nearly 80 years since the establishment of Korea's judiciary," Cho told reporters while arriving at the Supreme Court building. "This is a significant matter that could constitute constitutional amendment-level issues and could directly harm citizens."
The three judicial reform bills that the Democratic Party of Korea has agreed to pass are the judicial distortion crime bill, the constitutional complaint system for court rulings, and the Supreme Court justice expansion bill. The judicial distortion crime bill would allow punishment for judges, prosecutors, or police who intentionally misapply laws or use concealed or forged evidence in trials or investigations. The constitutional complaint system would amend the Constitutional Court Act to include court rulings as subjects for constitutional complaint review, which were previously excluded. The justice expansion bill would amend the Court Organization Act to increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 14 to 26.
"Some cite Germany as an example, but our constitution is completely different from Germany's," Cho said.
Cho emphasized the need for public deliberation on judicial reform. "I want to reiterate to the public and the National Assembly that it is desirable to listen broadly to expert opinions from all sectors and public opinions, and to make decisions through sufficient debate," he said. "As I have stated repeatedly, I will continue to persuade the National Assembly and convey our position until the very last moment."