On the 25th, chief judges nationwide said they "express deep regret over the current situation in which the so-called 'three judicial reform bills,' led by the Democratic Party of Korea, have been placed on the National Assembly plenary session agenda and are set to pass despite expressions of concern from the judiciary and various sectors of society, without sufficient public discussion or deliberation on the side effects of institutional changes."
The chief judges, at an extraordinary nationwide chief judges' meeting held by the Supreme Court from 2 p.m. at the Supreme Court building in Seocho-gu, Seoul, said these are "bills that would bring fundamental changes to the judicial system and could have a profound impact on people's lives," and stated accordingly.
The 'three judicial reform bills' refer to amendments to the Criminal Act, Constitutional Court Act, and Court Organization Act that include creating the crime of legal distortion, introducing a trial petition system, and increasing the number of Supreme Court justices. The chief judges received reports on the contents and progress of the three bills, and they shared and discussed judges' opinions collected from courts at all levels.
The Supreme Court said, "The majority of judges and chief judges whose views were gathered expressed deep concern over the (judicial reform) bills."
According to the Supreme Court, on the crime of legal distortion, the chief judges said, "Even considering the revised draft, the elements of the offense are abstract, so the scope of punishment could be excessively expanded," adding, "Serious side effects will occur, such as a flood of complaints and accusations due to the penal provisions."
On introducing trial petitions, they said, "There are concerns about harm to the public due to the substantive delay in finalizing trials," and added, "Broad discussions and coordination involving related institutions and stakeholders, including the courts, the Constitutional Court, the National Assembly, and the government, are essential."
On increasing Supreme Court justices, they said, "We agree on the need to reform the appeal system and increase the number of Supreme Court justices," but added, "Rapidly adding a large number of justices in a short period could harm fact-finding at trial and other areas, causing potential harm to the public."
They continued, "Given the current situation, let's pursue adding four justices, which is feasible now," adding, "It is desirable to continuously discuss further increases after examining the impact on fact-finding and whether harm would accrue to the public."
The chief judges said, "A fundamental overhaul of the judicial system could cause serious and irreversible side effects." However, regarding the current situation, they said, "We soberly acknowledge that the judiciary has failed to earn sufficient public trust, which has led to the current circumstances."