Revision Bill on Criminal Procedure Act Submitted to Plenary Session Today... People Power Party Threatens Filibuster

[Anchor]

The revision bill on the Criminal Procedure Act, which completely abolishes supplementary investigation powers and expands the grounds for the dismissal of public prosecution, will be submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly today (July 30). While the Democratic Party expressed expectations that public rights and the protection of human rights will be expanded, the People Power Party has warned of an unlimited debate, or filibuster, claiming that it sacrifices public safety to pursue political self-interest.

Here is a report by reporter Go Jeong-hyeon.

[Reporter]

The revision bill on the Criminal Procedure Act, which completely abolishes prosecutors' direct investigation powers including supplementary investigations, will be submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly this afternoon.

[Han Byung-do / Democratic Party Floor Leader: Our Criminal Procedure Act is shedding its 70-year-old outdated clothes and changing into new clothes that protect public rights and human rights. We have established much tighter and stronger safeguards to protect victims.]

The Democratic Party emphasized that the bill significantly reinforces police oversight functions and procedures for providing relief to victims' rights, urging the People Power Party, which opposes the bill, to stop obstructing prosecution reform.

Regarding the growing criticism, centered mainly around the opposition bloc, over the addition of grounds such as serious illegal investigations and deviations of prosecution discretion for which courts can dismiss public prosecutions, ruling party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee detailed their rebuttals.

They claimed that this merely clarifies in law the precedents where the Supreme Court has already ruled for the dismissal of public prosecution, and serves as a safeguard to protect the public from illegal investigations and the abuse of prosecution powers.

However, the People Power Party criticized that the Democratic Party, filled with a desire for revenge against the prosecution, has predetermined the conclusion to abolish supplementary investigation powers and is merely going through the motions.

They raised their voices, claiming that a political backdoor deal is being made ahead of the party convention to rally hard-line supporters.

They argued this is a secret agreement between President Lee Jae-myung, who reportedly wants the cancellation of suspended criminal trials, and hard-liners within the Democratic Party seeking to dismantle the prosecution.

[Chung Jeom-sik / People Power Party Floor Leader: If the Democratic Party bundles the abolition of supplementary investigation powers and the dismissal of public prosecution into a single package, passes it through the plenary session, and forgoes the right to request reconsideration, this political backdoor deal will be completed.]

The People Power Party plans to respond with an unlimited debate, or filibuster, once the revision bill on the Criminal Procedure Act is submitted to the plenary session of the National Assembly.

The Democratic Party plans to process the revision bill after putting a motion to close the filibuster to a vote 24 hours later tomorrow afternoon.

(Photo: Yonhap News / Video reporting: Oh Young-chun, Lee Seung-hwan / Video editing: Park Sun-soo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.