On July 13, the National Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee, led by the Democratic Party, discussed merging proposals to abolish supplementary investigation rights but did not reach a conclusion. Some members of the ruling party indicated plans to propose a bill aimed at retaining conditional supplementary investigation rights.
The committee's subcommittee, which is set to hold an additional meeting on July 15, plans to discuss the retention bill if it is introduced.
Kim Seung-won, the Democratic Party's representative on the committee, stated after the subcommittee meeting, "We focused on discussions regarding the National Assembly's review of the criminal procedure law amendment." He urged the opposition People Power Party to participate in the discussions, emphasizing the significance of changing the criminal procedure law system for the first time in 70 years.
Kim also responded to Hong Gi-won’s announcement of plans to propose a bill to retain conditional supplementary investigation rights, saying, "If the bill is introduced, we will discuss it along with the three bills we are currently considering, should the committee chair decide to refer it directly to the floor."
Currently, the committee is reviewing three separate bills related to the amendment of the criminal procedure law. These include a bill co-sponsored by Democratic Party member Kim Yong-min and Justice Reform Party member Park Eun-jung, as well as a bill proposed by member Cha Gyu-geun, and a proposal from the Democratic Party's criminal procedure law task force.
Concerns about abolishing supplementary investigation rights have recently emerged, particularly in light of the Jang Yun-ki case. The police had initially referred the suspect for simple murder charges, but the prosecution uncovered a power-related cover-up through supplementary investigation rights.
Voices of concern have also arisen within the ruling party. Members Kim Nam-hee and Kim Dong-ah held a press conference, stating, "The amendment to the criminal procedure law should not worsen conditions for victims," and emphasized that a system designed from the perspective of social minorities is essential for a just process.
Go Min-jeong, a member of the National Assembly who has declared her candidacy for party leader, criticized the notion of abolishing supplementary investigation rights, saying, "While it may not align with political calculations to oppose the abolition, suggesting we should abolish it and address issues later is not the attitude of a ruling party." She added, "The separation of investigation and prosecution is a choice to prevent unjust victims, and it should not become a matter of belief," advocating for the need for exceptional supplementary investigations.
Lee So-young, a former lawyer and current member of the National Assembly, warned on Facebook, "If we trivialize this significant issue as a topic for internal party competition ahead of the party convention, the public will respond with serious evaluations."
The Democratic Party plans to push for the amendment of the criminal procedure law before its party convention on August 17. The Justice Reform Party argues that the amendments must be processed before the Constitution Day to ensure the proper establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Agency as part of the ongoing prosecution reform efforts in October. However, it appears challenging to finalize the amendments before Constitution Day, raising questions about whether the criminal procedure law amendment can pass the National Assembly before the Democratic Party's convention.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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