Seoul High Court Dismisses Jurisdiction Transfer Request
from Six Defendants
Supporters of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who were arrested on charges of storming the Seoul Western District Court and inciting a riot, had their request to transfer the jurisdiction of the case from the Seoul Western District Court to the Seoul Central District Court denied.
According to the legal community on the 10th, the Criminal Division 12-1 of the Seoul High Court (Presiding Judges Hong Ji-young, Bang Woong-hwan, and Kim Hyung-bae) dismissed the jurisdiction transfer request filed by six suspects, including Kim, related to the riot case at the Seoul Western District Court. With this, a total of 21 jurisdiction transfer requests, including those reviewed by other trial divisions, have been rejected. Previously, the suspects who applied for the change of jurisdiction argued that it was problematic for the Seoul Western District Court, which is the victim party, to determine the legality of the detention, and filed a detention review petition with the Seoul Central District Court, which was also dismissed.
They also submitted a jurisdiction transfer application to the Seoul High Court requesting that the court handling the case be changed to the Seoul Central District Court. Under the Criminal Procedure Act, if it is deemed difficult for a trial to be conducted fairly, the prosecutor or defendant may apply to a higher court for a transfer of trial jurisdiction.
The suspects who filed the jurisdiction transfer request are accused of storming the Western District Court and causing a disturbance after President Yoon was detained, specifically after 3 a.m. on the 19th of last month. The police announced on the 7th that they have identified 107 individuals involved in the violent incidents, including the riot at the Western District Court, and have already arrested 66 of them. The remaining 41 are under investigation without detention.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
