Conservative Lawyers' Group: "In-Person Recommendation for Supreme Court Justices Is Not Mandatory; Proceed With Appointments"

▲ Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae arrives for work at the Supreme Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 20th.

The Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (Hanbyun), a conservative lawyers' group, criticized the recent controversy surrounding Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's written recommendation of Supreme Court justices on the 20th, stating, "In-person recommendations are merely a custom, not a legal obligation, and denouncing this as a unilateral notice directly misrepresents the facts."

In a statement released that day, the group stated, "The authority to recommend Supreme Court justices is an inherent power granted exclusively to the Chief Justice by the Constitution," adding, "Whether the recommendation method is in-person or in writing, there are no provisions in the Constitution or laws mandating a specific method."

They continued, "The Chief Justice requested a meeting with the President, but it did not materialize, and the written recommendation method was also discussed with the Presidential Office's senior secretary for civil affairs," and noted, "Denouncing this as a unilateral notice is a direct distortion of the facts."

The group stated, "The President's appointment power is merely a formal authority exercised in the status of head of state," and added, "Threatening to refuse appointments under the pretext of the format of the recommendation and intimidating the Chief Justice is an unconstitutional act that dismantles the foundation of the separation of powers on its own."

The group urged the Democratic Party to halt threats of impeaching the Chief Justice, and called upon the President and the National Assembly to promptly proceed with the appointment procedures for Supreme Court justices.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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