The opposition party's proposed amendment to the Constitutional Court Act was referred to the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee's bill review subcommittee on the 31st. The ruling and opposition parties agreed to conduct in-depth discussions on the bill in the subcommittee.
The amendment to the Constitutional Court Act, submitted to the full meeting of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee that afternoon, consists of two bills proposed by the Democratic Party members. ▲ Content allowing the extension of the term of Constitutional Court Justices (proposed by Representative Lee Sung-yoon) ▲ Content stating that the acting president cannot exercise the authority to appoint Constitutional Court Justices when the president is suspended from duty (proposed by Representative Kim Yong-min) are included.
The amendment proposed by Representative Lee Sung-yoon of the Democratic Party stipulates that the president must appoint judges elected or nominated by the National Assembly and the Supreme Court within seven days, and if this does not happen, they are deemed appointed. The provision is also included that allows judges to continue performing their duties until their successors are appointed even after their terms expire or they reach retirement age.
If the amendment passes the plenary session, it would allow for the extension of the terms of Constitutional Court Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-sun, which expire on April 18.
The amendment proposed by Representative Kim Yong-min of the Democratic Party contains provisions that if the president is vacated, incapacitated, or suspended from duty, the acting president cannot exercise the right to appoint three judges elected by the National Assembly and three judges nominated by the Chief Justice.
According to Representative Kim's amendment, the acting president cannot recommend and appoint a Constitutional Court Justice from the president's nominated share. Applying this to the current situation, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is acting as president, would not be able to nominate a justice from the president's share.
In response, ruling party legislators strongly opposed.
Representative Park Joon-tae of the People Power Party remarked, "I firmly oppose the bill being presented today. To arbitrarily change the terms of justices as stated in the Constitution is a threat to the rule of law and undermines the foundations of the nation," criticizing, "Is it reasonable to substitute what is guaranteed by the Constitution with ordinary law?"
Representative Joo Jin-woo of the same party pointed out, "Nominating the candidate Ma Eun-hye gives rise to reasonable suspicion that they are trying to 'flip the game' or 'alter the ruling results.' This bill itself, in some sense, is like changing the rules after the game has ended."
While the ruling party opposed the bill submitted by the Democratic Party lawmakers, they agreed to send it to the subcommittee for discussion. Consequently, the bill review subcommittee, composed of members from both parties, immediately convened a meeting.