"The Judiciary Committee Should Be Opposed by the Opposition for Checks on the Executive Branch… The Democratic Party Should Keep Its Own Words"

Joo Jin-woo, the chairman of the legal advisory committee for the People Power Party, argued that “The Democratic Party must normalize the Judiciary Committee and return the chairmanship to the opposition.”

On the 8th, Joo posted on his Facebook, titled “For checks on the executive branch, the Judiciary Committee chairmanship should now be held by the opposition.”

He stated, “Last year, the Democratic Party prioritized 'checks on the executive branch' over 'National Assembly practices,' monopolizing both the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee and the Management Committee. There has been a principle in constitutional history that the positions of the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Judiciary Committee chairman should be held by different parties. Ignoring this principle has resulted in the disappearance of cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties, and many livelihood bills have been left adrift.”

“The Judiciary Committee is a free pass… The Democratic Party is now the ruling party”

Joo specifically cited the bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices, stating, “The current Judiciary Committee is in a free pass state, having lost its practical check function. Now that the Democratic Party has become the ruling party, it must respect the original role of the National Assembly in checking the executive branch.”

He further emphasized, “It is difficult for a Judiciary Committee chairman from the Democratic Party, who has become a mere tool for the regime, to properly perform the review of bills and the verification of judicial appointments. The first task that the new government should take on is not a mere talk of integration but the normalization of the National Assembly.”

Earlier, Joo had suggested publicizing the discussion on increasing the number of Supreme Court judges and forming a 'Judicial System Special Committee' in the National Assembly. He explained, “Supreme Court justices are not directly elected by the public. The independence from political power is the essence of the judiciary,” adding that “the six-year term is also a device to ensure consistency in case law.”

"Judicial reform should not be handled secretly without the public's knowledge"

He continued, “There should absolutely be no handling of significant changes to the judiciary behind closed doors without the citizens’ knowledge,” stating, “After the 'complete investigation and abolition' reform, the delay in case processing has already caused great inconvenience to the public. Instead of the promised effects from the Democratic Party, the exact opposite outcomes have arisen. Now, such 'reverse policies' must stop."

Meanwhile, regarding the bill to increase the number of Supreme Court justices, which is being promoted under the leadership of the Democratic Party, it is expected that the Supreme Court will officially submit its opinion to the National Assembly this week.

The amendment to the Court Organization Act passed the first subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee, led by the Democratic Party, on the same day as President Lee Jae-myung's inauguration on the 4th. However, the processing for the full committee meeting has been postponed due to the party leadership’s intervention.

Image sources: Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party / News1, President Lee Jae-myung / News1