Cho Hee-dae: “Judicial Complaint Act and More Supreme Court Justices Will Greatly Harm the People”...Seeks Consultations With National Assembly

Legislation and Judiciary Committee passes amendment to the Court Organization Act
to gradually increase the number of Supreme Court justices from 14 to 26

Constitutional complaints to be allowed even against Supreme Court rulings

People Power Party opposes, calling it “effectively a four-instance trial system”

Cho Hee-dae says “sufficient public discussion is necessary”

“We will consolidate the Supreme Court’s views and consult with the National Assembly”

Democratic Party seeks passage at the plenary session of the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly

Yonhap News Agency

On the morning of the 12th, Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae commented on the so-called “Judicial Complaint Act” and the “increase in the number of Supreme Court justices,” which passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee under the leadership of the ruling party, saying during a doorstep interview on his way to work that “the outcome would cause enormous harm to the people,” and that “the Supreme Court will continue to consult together with the National Assembly.”

Chief Justice Cho said that day, “This is an issue that forms a major pillar of the Constitution and the national order, so I have repeatedly said that it must be decided only after sufficient deliberation through public discussion,” adding, “Since it has not yet been finally concluded (because it has not passed the plenary session), in the meantime we will consolidate the views of the Supreme Court, convey them, and continue consultations.”

Regarding the offense of distortion of law, he said, “That issue is the same; it is a serious matter for the judicial order and for the people, so we will continue to hold consultations.”

Earlier, on the 11th, the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee passed an amendment to the Court Organization Act to increase the number of Supreme Court justices, as well as an amendment to the Constitutional Court Act that would allow constitutional complaints to be filed against Supreme Court rulings. The amendment to the Court Organization Act is centered on gradually increasing the current 14 Supreme Court justices to 26. Specifically, it stipulates that two years after the promulgation of the amendment, 4 justices will first be added, and then an additional 4 justices will be added at the three-year and four-year marks, increasing the total number by 12.

The key element of the amendment to the Constitutional Court Act is that it would allow constitutional complaints even against Supreme Court rulings. The People Power Party has strongly opposed this, arguing that it is effectively the introduction of a “four-instance trial system.”

With the two bills having passed the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, the Democratic Party plans to convene a plenary session during the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly to push for their passage.