- Formally submits constitutional complaint against the Criminal Procedure Act amendment to the Constitutional Court on the 13th
- "Undermining prosecutors' check-and-balance function violates separation of powers"… Cites 6 unconstitutional grounds
- Representative Jang Dong-hyeok joins as an 'individual' plaintiff citing direct impact on his own investigations
- President Lee Jae-myung pushes through promulgation on the 4th… Fate of the justice system hinges on Constitutional Court's prompt ruling
To challenge the constitutionality of the Criminal Procedure Act amendment that completely abolishes prosecutors' direct and supplementary investigation rights, the People Power Party has initiated full-scale legal action by filing a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court.
On the afternoon of the 13th, Chairman Kim Tae-gyu and Vice Chairmen Ko Seok and Choi Ji-woo of the People Power Party's Legal Advisory Committee visited the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to submit the petition for a constitutional court trial. They argued that the amendment, which completely subordinates investigation results to the police, undermines the check-and-balance functions in criminal justice, directly violating the constitutional "principle of functional separation of powers." The petition also outlined a total of six grounds for infringement of basic rights and unconstitutionality, including the principle of due process, the warrant principle, the right to a speedy and fair trial, and the presumption of innocence.
Notably, party leader Jang Dong-hyeok personally joined as a plaintiff in an individual capacity rather than purely at the party level. The People Power Party cited the fact that Representative Jang is currently undergoing multiple cases filed by the Democratic Party and lawsuits related to speculative real estate suspicion reports; under the revised Criminal Procedure Act, his ongoing investigative procedures would face direct disadvantages and impacts, serving as the basis for his standing as a plaintiff.
The controversial Criminal Procedure Act amendment passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 31st of last month led by the Democratic Party. While the People Power Party strongly urged President Lee Jae-myung to exercise his veto power, the government finalized and promulgated the bill after a cabinet meeting on the 4th. Chairman Kim Tae-gyu urged a prompt ruling from the Constitutional Court, stating, "The amendment is a major legislative measure that fundamentally dismantles the Republic of Korea's criminal justice system maintained since the nation's founding."