The Korean Bar Association (President Kim Jeong-wook) issued a statement on the 23rd regarding the Democratic Party of Korea's push to amend the law to allow individuals without legal qualifications to be appointed as justices of the Supreme Court, stating that it should be "reassessed."
In a statement issued by President Kim Jeong-wook on this day, the Bar Association noted, "The appointment of non-legal professionals as justices of the Supreme Court jeopardizes the core function of the Supreme Court, which is the role of 'legal review.'" It also stated, "Unified legal interpretation and the establishment of legal standards are based on extensive practical experience and professional legal training."
It continued, "If there are individuals who cannot play a substantial role in the process of vigorously arguing both majority and dissenting opinions, there is a risk that the authority and consistency of Supreme Court rulings will be undermined, thus damaging trust in the judiciary."
However, the Bar Association acknowledged the need to increase the number of justices. It argued that "expanding the number of justices is the most realistic and direct measure to alleviate the bottleneck in the appellate system and to substantively ensure the right to a fair trial."
According to legal circles, it is reported that Democratic Party of Korea member Park Beom-gye, a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, is pushing for an amendment to the Court Organization Act that would allow individuals without legal qualifications to be appointed as justices. The current law restricts the qualifications for justices to those who have worked for at least 20 years as ▲ judges, prosecutors, or lawyers ▲ legal officers from public institutions with a legal background ▲ law professors from legal fields who have previously been lawyers.
However, the revision reportedly includes provisions allowing those who are "knowledgeable, virtuous, and possess extensive experience in various professional fields and have a foundation in legal matters" to be appointed as justices. This means that individuals without legal qualifications could become justices. The amendment also includes provisions to increase the number of justices from the current 14 to as many as 30, with up to one-third of them being non-legal professionals.