“Supreme Court Justice Park Young-jae announced his intention to resign from his position as the Director of Court Administration on the 27th. This move is interpreted as a response to the Democratic Party’s push for the legislative passage of the so-called ‘Judicial Reform Three Laws.’
According to the legal community, Justice Park expressed his intention to resign to Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae on the morning of the 27th. This comes approximately one and a half months after Chief Justice Cho appointed him as the successor to former Director Cheon Dae-yeop on the 13th of last month.
The Court Administration Office, affiliated with the Supreme Court, oversees the judicial administration of courts nationwide under the delegation of the Chief Justice. It also handles various external affairs.
On the 25th, Justice Park convened a temporary meeting of chief judges from courts nationwide at the Supreme Court to discuss countermeasures against the ruling party’s promotion of the ‘Judicial Reform Three Laws.’
The Democratic Party plans to process all three bills during this extraordinary session of the National Assembly: the crime of judicial distortion, the trial appeal system, and the increase in the number of Supreme Court Justices.
The judiciary has maintained the position that these bills have potential unconstitutionality, and since changes to the judicial system are significant matters affecting the public greatly, sufficient discussion before legislation is necessary.
On this day, Justice Park stated regarding the Judicial Reform Three Laws, “All of them bring significant changes to the fundamental role and function of courts in protecting constitutional order and citizens’ rights and contain contents that can directly affect citizens seeking remedy through the courts.” He emphasized the need for the judiciary’s opinions, which directly handle trials, to be reflected in the deliberation process of the legislation.”