Concerns Over Restriction of Law Enforcement Powers Lead to 'Strengthening Sentencing Guidelines'
Confirmed After Sentencing Commission Review
The police are pushing to raise the reduced sentencing range for the crime of obstructing official duties to imprisonment of 3 to 10 months. This is because without strict law enforcement, there could be limitations in the future execution of public authority.
On the 1st, the National Police Agency recently submitted a statement to the Supreme Court Sentencing Commission requesting that the reduced sentencing range for the crime of obstructing official duties be raised from imprisonment of 1 to 8 months to 3 to 10 months. The crime of obstructing official duties is divided into reduced sentencing of 1 to 8 months, basic sentencing of 6 months to 1 year and 6 months, and aggravated sentencing of 1 to 4 years.
A National Police Agency official explained the purpose, saying, "In many cases where the crime of obstructing official duties is committed, fines are imposed or sentences are given at the minimum range," and added, "We also considered that the exercise of police authority is somewhat restrained."
Recently, even when police officers were assaulted, most cases resulted only in fines. On the 18th of last month, Judge Hwang Jae-ho of the Daejeon District Court Criminal Division 4 suspended sentencing with a fine of 3 million won for a man in his 20s, A, who assaulted a police officer who responded after he caused a disturbance while intoxicated. Judge Park Soo-wan of the Uijeongbu District Court Criminal Division 5 sentenced a man, B, who assaulted a police officer trying to rescue a woman in her 60s, to a fine of 5 million won.
Commissioner Yoon emphasized, "Although 90% of the victims of the crime of obstructing official duties are police officers, there is a widespread perception that the level of punishment is low, which is restraining the legitimate exercise of public authority," and stressed the need to strengthen sentencing guidelines.
Meanwhile, this content is expected to be finalized after review by the Sentencing Commission.
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