Public Trust Ranking: Police - Courts - Prosecution... Growing Public Demand for Prosecution Reform
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Hyung-kwon] In 2012, the court had the highest public trust among criminal justice institutions, but its trust level has continuously declined, and this year it recorded a lower figure than the police.
According to an analysis of the
On the other hand, the police had the lowest trust level among the three criminal justice institutions at 46.9% in 2012, but this year showed a trust level of 49.2%, surpassing both the prosecution and the court to record the highest figure.
Meanwhile, the prosecution has consistently ranked lowest except in 2012 (47.2%), indicating how long the public's demand for prosecution reform has been accumulating.
When the same survey was conducted in 2016, it was found that people who had experienced crime victimization or trials had lower trust in the prosecution than those who had not, showing that the negative perception of the prosecution is not a vague prejudice but an evaluation from those who have actually experienced the prosecution, reflecting the current state of the prosecution.
Lawmaker So Byung-chul stated, “It is very regrettable that the overall public trust in judicial institutions is less than half. The role of judicial institutions is to be the last bastion to protect citizens' fundamental rights when they have been or could be violated, but the fact that people do not trust these institutions means that the fairness and transparency of the current judicial system do not meet the public’s expectations at all.” He urged, “This is precisely why prosecution reform and judicial reform are necessary. The prosecution and courts must once again remember that their mission is to protect citizens' fundamental rights, not to defend their vested interests, and they must open their ears to critical public opinions and work tirelessly to restore trust.”
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