National Judges' Representatives to Convene on the 26th
"Expressing Opinions on 'Lee Appeal Remand' Deemed Inappropriate"
The agenda for the National Judges' Representatives Conference, which will discuss the controversy surrounding the appeals process in the Public Official Election Act violation case involving Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, has been set.
On May 20, the National Judges' Representatives Conference announced that two agenda items had been submitted, including "Concerns about Judicial Independence Infringement and Observance of Fairness," as proposed by Kim Yeyoung, the presiding judge of the Seoul Southern District Court and chair of the conference.
The first agenda item states, "We affirm that judicial independence must be absolutely guaranteed in a democratic nation, and at the same time, we declare our commitment to upholding the fairness of trials and the democratic accountability of the judiciary, which are the foundation for this independence. The National Judges' Representatives Conference will monitor the progress of this situation, analyze its causes, and discuss countermeasures through the Judicial Trust and Judicial Ethics Subcommittees."
The second agenda item states, "We recognize with grave concern that trust in the judiciary, which is the basis of judicial independence, has been shaken, and we express deep concern over the possibility that various forms of accountability and institutional changes prompted by individual trials may infringe upon judicial independence."
Chair Kim, who submitted the agenda items, said, "I prepared the proposals by comprehensively considering as many opinions as possible that were raised during discussions on whether to convene an extraordinary meeting," and added, "I determined that it would be inappropriate to express opinions regarding the validity of individual trials and procedural progress in connection with the Supreme Court ruling at the center of the controversy."
She continued, "In relation to this situation, I propose that we reaffirm values such as judicial independence and the democratic accountability of judges, deeply reflect on and express concern about the current situation, and state our views on judicial trust and the general principle of judicial independence."
Additional agenda items may be submitted at the meeting if they receive the consent of at least ten participants, including the proposer, and amendments may also be proposed.
The Judges' Representatives Conference is a body in which representative judges elected from courts at various levels gather to express opinions or make recommendations regarding judicial administration and judicial independence. Agenda items are decided by a majority vote of the judges' representatives present. The conference may be convened at the discretion of the chair or upon the request of at least one-fifth (26 members) of the judges' representatives.
Previously, the National Judges' Representatives Conference stated, "The meeting was requested because more than one-fifth of the members believe it is necessary to discuss and clarify the position on issues concerning doubts about the political neutrality of the courts and the erosion of trust in the judiciary," and announced that an extraordinary meeting would be convened.
The Judges' Representatives Conference is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting at 10 a.m. on May 26 at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
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