National Judges' Representatives "Research on Alternatives to Resolve Trial Delays"

Representatives of judges nationwide have agreed to study measures to resolve trial delays.

The National Conference of Judges Representatives held its regular meeting for the first half of 2024 on the morning of the 8th at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and requested the Judicial Administration System and Planning Budget Subcommittee under the representative meeting to review the causes and countermeasures of trial delays.

In line with Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae’s presentation of resolving trial delays as the top priority after his inauguration, frontline judges have also begun seeking solutions. The subcommittee’s research results are expected to be shared at the regular or extraordinary National Conference of Judges Representatives in the second half of the year.

The Judges Representatives Conference also requested the subcommittee to study ways to establish a new advisory body to replace the existing Judicial Administration Advisory Council. This follows the Court Administration Office’s position that it is difficult to maintain the Judicial Administration Advisory Council, which was established during former Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo’s tenure under the pretext of dispersing judicial administrative power.

It was reported that at the meeting, the Court Administration Office mentioned an internal evaluation stating that it is impossible to continue operating the Judicial Administration Advisory Council without legal grounds, that the boundary with the Supreme Court Justices’ meeting is unclear, and that its efficiency as a meeting body is low.

The Court Administration Office is considering the Judicial Policy Advisory Committee, a non-permanent body that the Chief Justice can convene at will, as a strong alternative to the Judicial Administration Advisory Council.

However, it was also reported that opinions were raised at the meeting that the Judicial Administration Advisory Council should be maintained because the two bodies have clearly different natures.

Regarding the controversy over the policy promotion document, which included content such as "refraining from trials after 6 p.m." and was concluded with the Public Officials Labor Union, the Court Administration Office stated that it will not pursue such forms of consultation in the future. It also explained that in the case of criminal electronic litigation, there are difficulties in system linkage and consultation with investigative agencies, making it highly likely that the originally expected implementation in October this year will be further delayed. The next-generation electronic litigation system is also expected to be difficult to launch within this year.

Meanwhile, at the Judges Representatives Conference on the same day, Judge Kim Ye-young of the Seoul Eastern District Court was elected as the new chairperson, and Judge Lee Ho-cheol of the Busan District Court was elected as the vice-chairperson, each running unopposed.

Judge Kim is one of the judges who led the establishment of the International Human Rights Law Research Association, classified as a progressive academic group, and in 2017, he was active in the "Working Preparation Group for Judicial Reform" formed by former Chief Justice Kim. At a discussion hosted by the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) last year, he voiced criticism that the response to the judicial scandal under the former Chief Justice Kim’s administration was insufficient.

Chief Justice Cho attended the Judges Representatives Conference in person and urged, "For the judiciary to regain the trust of the people, it must faithfully perform its fundamental duties of fair and prompt trials," adding, "This can only be achieved when all members of the judiciary pool their wisdom and work together in harmony."

The National Conference of Judges Representatives, which was temporarily formed in 2017 to prepare countermeasures against the abuse of judicial administrative power, was institutionalized during former Chief Justice Kim’s administration. Since his inauguration in December last year, Chief Justice Cho has been reviewing the continuation or abolition of systems implemented during former Chief Justice Kim’s tenure, but it is known that the National Conference of Judges Representatives will be maintained as is.