The Legal Research and Training Institute to Study Human Rights-Related Statutes and Issues... Plans to Develop Textbooks and Establish a Human Rights Education System
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Ministry of Justice is stepping up human rights education for newly appointed prosecutors. To create a human rights-friendly investigation and trial environment within the prosecution, the ministry plans to study human rights-related theories and statutory laws, and utilize the results in the training of new prosecutors. This measure reflects Minister Park Beom-gye’s conviction that the goal of prosecutorial reform is for prosecutors to be reborn as human rights protectors.
According to the legal community on the 5th, the Ministry of Justice has begun developing its own standardized human rights education textbook to establish a systematic system starting from the training course for new prosecutors at the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
Currently, new prosecutors who graduated from law schools undergo training on prosecutorial duties at the Judicial Research and Training Institute after appointment, and then are assigned to frontline prosecution offices. The nine-month training they receive focuses on ▲criminal law theory ▲prosecutorial investigation work ▲investigation techniques lectures ▲practical record evaluation ▲prosecutor ethics, among other practical subjects.
However, despite internal and external calls for the prosecution to transform into a human rights-friendly organization, human rights-related programs have been insufficient. Although a subject called ‘Constitution and Human Rights’ is assigned, there are no specialized instructors or textbooks dealing with human rights issues in prosecution, nor a standardized program, limiting the development of diverse awareness of problems.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice plans to conduct in-depth research on basic human rights theories as well as statutory laws including the Constitution, criminal law, administrative law, and international law, together with the Judicial Research and Training Institute. The final goal is to use the research results as educational materials for new prosecutors. In particular, human rights issues concerning persons with disabilities, the elderly, and children, as well as social minorities such as irregular workers and foreign laborers, gender equality, sexual minorities, caregiving homicide, mental illness, hate, and discrimination will be included in the research subjects.
In line with Minister Park’s policy direction to strengthen human rights, the results will also be utilized in the Judicial Research and Training Institute’s annual education programs. This includes training currently underway for deputy prosecutors, chief prosecutors, prosecution chiefs, and junior prosecutors. Minister Park, who has consistently emphasized human rights in lectures for prosecutors and visits to frontline prosecution offices, stated at the new prosecutor commissioning ceremony in April, “The ultimate goal of prosecutorial reform is for prosecutors to be reborn as human rights protectors.”
A Ministry of Justice official said, “This is a measure to cultivate prosecutors’ awareness of human rights through systematic human rights education,” adding, “We will continue to internally prepare additional measures to strengthen human rights.”
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