Supreme Court Justices to Hold Meeting on the Acting Chief Justice's 'Authority' on the 16th

Supreme Court: "Discussion May Not Be Completed in a Single Meeting"
Discussion on Scope of Authority for Supreme Court Justice Appointment Recommendation and Judge Personnel Affairs

As the vacancy in the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shows signs of prolonged duration, a meeting of Supreme Court justices to discuss the scope of authority exercised by Acting Chief Justice Ahn Cheol-sang will be held on the 16th.

The Supreme Court announced on the 13th that discussions regarding the scope of authority of the Acting Chief Justice are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on the 16th. However, the Supreme Court explained that the discussions might not be completed during the justices' meeting on that day.

The justices' meeting is regularly held once a month and can be convened temporarily as needed; this upcoming meeting is a special session. The most critical issue at this meeting is whether the Acting Chief Justice can recommend appointments to the President for successors to Justices Ahn Cheol-sang and Min Yoo-sook, who are set to retire on January 1 next year, in the event that the vacancy caused by the withdrawal of nominee Lee Gyun-yong prolongs. If a new Chief Justice is not inaugurated by January 1 next year and Acting Chief Justice Ahn Cheol-sang himself retires, Justice Kim Seon-su, a former president of Minbyun, will succeed as Acting Chief Justice.

The key agenda of this justices' meeting is whether the Acting Chief Justice holds the authority to recommend candidates for justices and the authority over the regular court personnel appointments scheduled for January to February next year.

The Supreme Court’s Judicial Administration Office is reportedly preparing a report for the justices, based on existing legal principles, outlining various possibilities regarding the scope of duties that the Acting Chief Justice can perform, as there are no established precedents or regulations. The justices plan to conduct the meeting based on this report.