The Legal Community That Had Entered Dormancy Starts to 'Stretch' Again from Today
Legal and Prosecution Reform Committee Resumes Activities on 23rd
Courts Begin Major Trials... Daegu Court Implements Rotational Cross Revision
Prosecution Extends COVID-19 Emergency Measures
[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The legal community, which had taken a break due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) crisis, is now resuming its normal schedule.
First, the Ministry of Justice's Legal and Prosecutorial Reform Committee will resume activities after a three-week recess. On the afternoon of the 23rd, the committee will hold its 24th meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon to review recommendations related to guaranteeing the right to wear plain clothes during investigations and trials of detainees and prisoners. Formed in September last year, the committee has been holding regular weekly meetings to discuss issues related to prosecutorial reform.
The Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court will also end their special recess due to COVID-19 and resume trials from this day. Some major trials have already continued. Earlier, following the Supreme Court's Court Administration Office's recommendation for courts nationwide to take a recess, most courts had a four-week recess period. However, courts in the Daegu region, which has been severely affected by COVID-19, will hold trials through a rotating cross-recess system from this day until the 17th of next month. The rotating cross-recess system means that each court division holds recesses on alternate weeks as a principle.
The courts plan not to extend the recess period any further but will maintain measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court will continue to implement existing policies such as the 'Healthy Distancing' campaign, which spaces seating in courtrooms by one seat, mandatory mask-wearing for litigation parties, microphone cover replacement, and temperature checks.
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On the other hand, the prosecution has decided to extend emergency measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, judging that the situation has not yet fully stabilized. On the 20th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office instructed local prosecution offices to continue implementing existing special directives, including minimizing summons investigations, refraining from events with many participants, and postponing courthouse tour programs. However, the prosecution plans to conduct summons investigations of suspects or witnesses in a limited manner when the statute of limitations is approaching or when face-to-face investigations are unavoidable. In this regard, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summoned and investigated Samsung officials last week, whose additional summons had been postponed due to COVID-19.
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