Judiciary Committee Subcommittee Reviews Bill to Abolish 'Supplementary Investigation' Powers; Discusses Expanding Objection and Requisition Procedures

Amidst growing calls for caution within parts of the Democratic Party regarding the abolition of supplementary investigation powers, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly held its First Subcommittee for Bill Review today to continue deliberations on the relevant legislation.
The committee reviewed the specific articles of the amendment proposed by the Democratic Party's Criminal Procedure Act Reform Task Force, as well as bills proposed by Democratic Party Representative Kim Yong-min, Rebuilding Korea Party Representative Kim Eun-jung, and Rebuilding Korea Party Representative Cha Gyu-geun.
It is reported that today's subcommittee meeting focused heavily on discussions regarding the expansion of the objection and requisition systems.
The proposed amendments include provisions that would grant the right to file objections and requisitions regarding cases where police have decided not to refer a case to prosecution, extending these rights not only to complainants but also to those who filed the initial accusations.
These institutional improvements are intended to address concerns that police might bury cases following the abolition of supplementary investigation powers.
Representative Kim Seung-won, the chair of the First Subcommittee, told reporters after the meeting, "In-depth deliberations were held in a direction that strengthens fundamental rights, such as the right of accusers to file objections and the right of victims to file requisitions."
Furthermore, Representative Kim stated that the subcommittee also discussed a plan to expand the scope under which courts can issue decisions to dismiss indictments based on "illegal reasons during the investigation process."
When asked if opinions urging caution regarding the abolition of supplementary investigation powers were raised during the meeting, he replied, "The issue of supplementary investigation powers was not on the agenda (today), so there were no specific opinions or debates on it."
Regarding whether the bill proposed by Democratic Party Representative Hong Ki-won, which centers on partially retaining supplementary investigation powers, would be directly referred to the subcommittee, he said, "If a decision is made quickly, I expect we will be able to review it together tomorrow."
In addition, the committee passed an amendment to the Probation Act, which would establish separate facilities for juveniles under protective custody to keep them apart from adults and allow these facilities to perform the functions of youth delinquency prevention centers. They also approved an amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Interest Corporations, which lowers the age requirement for executives of public interest corporations from the current 19 to 18.
The Legislation and Judiciary Committee plans to hold its First Subcommittee meeting tomorrow morning to continue the review of bills.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.