Effective Operation of Protection and Support Systems
Could Lead to Expansion of Lawyer Market
There is an opinion that if victims are granted rights and status, and victim protection and support systems are effectively operated, it could lead to an expansion of the lawyer market. This is because there are many areas in the investigation process and trial procedures where lawyers can protect and represent victims and express their opinions. As the legal profession has entered a 'red ocean market' and is saturated, there is also a prospect that a 'new market' will open if the victim lawyer system is expanded.
The more official procedures, the more help
A lawyer from a law office in Seocho-dong, who requested anonymity, said, “It is a reality that young lawyers running private offices, rather than former high-ranking officials or lawyers belonging to large law firms, face great burdens and many difficulties in taking on cases,” adding, “If the role of victim lawyers is expanded and guaranteed, it will also help expand the lawyer market.”
A lawyer who has participated as a representative for victims in many cases explained, “In some crimes where victim lawyer regulations exist, the perpetrator cannot directly contact the victim, so sometimes the perpetrator’s side requests to appoint a victim lawyer,” and added, “Because there are many roles that victim lawyers can play in protecting victims, it will have a positive impact on expanding the lawyer market.”
Another lawyer pointed out, “The more official procedures there are for victims to state their opinions, the more lawyers will work as victim lawyers,” and said, “It could become a spotlighted field in the legal profession, which is considered a red ocean.”
Law firms that only take on victims emerge
In fact, law firms advertising that they “only take on victims” have appeared. The law firm Sim&Lee uses the phrase “the first and only victim-specialized law firm in Korea exclusively for sexual crime victims” on its homepage. Recently, the number of law firms specializing in victims has been increasing.
Sim Ji-yeon, the representative lawyer of Sim&Lee, said, “Judges make fair judgments, prosecutors investigate and prosecute crimes, and lawyers help others. After becoming a lawyer, I wondered in which field I could provide help, and when I searched for ‘sexual harassment,’ I only found advertisements about acquittals or suspended sentences, so I thought there would be people who need help in this area, which led me to start this,” adding, “After actually working, I found that there are many areas to represent the voices of victims, and it is very rewarding.”
Representative lawyer Sim said that if the victim lawyer system is expanded not only for certain crimes such as sexual crimes or child abuse but also for other crimes, it would have a positive effect on expanding the lawyer market.
Victim participation system must be established
There is criticism that victims want to participate directly as parties and voice their opinions, but the system often does not support this, and even the existing systems are not well known, resulting in many victims not participating.
Lawyer Sim said, “Above all, it is necessary to establish a system that allows victims to participate as parties,” and added, “For example, in sexual crime cases, even after the DNA is collected at the Sunflower Center and the forensic report is issued, it is not disclosed to the victim, so the victim only learns the results later by reading the judgment. Including this, institutional support is needed to expand the scope of what can be disclosed to victims.”
Han Su-hyun, Park Su-yeon, Legal News Reporters
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
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