"Increase in Long-Term Unsolved Cases After Adjustment of Prosecution and Police Investigation Authority" Ministry of Justice Launches 'Criminal Justice Special Committee'

Including former Constitutional Court Justice Kang Il-won
22 members including judges, prosecutors, and lawyers participate

The Ministry of Justice announced on the 22nd that it has launched the 'Special Criminal Justice Committee,' an advisory body to the minister, appointing former Constitutional Court Justice Kang Il-won as the chairman and 22 experts including judges, prosecutors, and lawyers as members.

The Special Criminal Justice Committee was established to respond to changes in the judicial system, crime environment, and evidence methods following the adjustment of investigative authority between prosecutors and police.

Ministry of Justice. [Image source=Yonhap News]

At the appointment ceremony of the Special Criminal Justice Committee held that day, Minister of Justice Park Seong-jae stated, "We will strive to achieve genuine improvements in the criminal justice system by incorporating the opinions of the committee members."

During the meeting held after the appointment ceremony, practical issues arising from recent changes in the criminal justice system, such as the adjustment of investigative authority, were discussed. It was decided to disclose the preliminary statistics first and to continue discussions related to this matter going forward.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Justice, cases exceeding six months handled by the police, which were around 5-6% before 2020, surged to 14% in 2022 after the adjustment of investigative authority. The proportion of cases requiring supplementary investigations or re-investigations taking more than three months has also prolonged to around 40% to 60%. A Ministry of Justice official explained, "When case numbers change due to requests for supplementary investigations or re-investigations, it is currently difficult to accurately determine the total duration from the initiation to the conclusion of a single case because the case history cannot be confirmed. It is estimated that significant delays occur as additional time is required even after the case is transferred."