[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice announced on the 10th that it will increase the number of dedicated public defenders by 12 this year to strengthen the expertise of victim public defender services.
This increase was initiated to address the severe shortage of dedicated public defenders compared to the rapidly growing number of supported cases. According to the Ministry of Justice, the number of cases supported by victim dedicated public defenders surged from 26,007 in 2020 to 38,446 last year, but the total number of dedicated public defenders is only 23. Over the past three years, only six additional personnel have been assigned.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Justice plans to hire 12 dedicated public defenders in two rounds this year in consultation with related agencies and deploy them to regions with high demand. Eight of the first round hires will be deployed on the 11th, and the remaining four will be additionally hired around June.
Victim public defenders provide specialized legal support throughout the entire process from the initial investigation to trial for victims of sexual violence, child abuse, and abuse of persons with disabilities. They operate by distinguishing between 'dedicated public defenders' who handle only victim public defender cases and 'non-dedicated public defenders' who also handle private cases concurrently.
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