Field Police Officers' Group 'Polnetiang' Also Criticizes Enforcement Decree on Investigation Authority Adjustment... "Undermines the Purpose of Prosecution Reform"

Polnetiang

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Amid ongoing police opposition to the legislative notice on the enforcement decree related to the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police, the on-site police officers' community 'Polnetiang' has now called for revisions to the legislative notice based on the principle of checks and balances.

On the 4th, Polnetiang issued a statement saying, "The legislative notice announced by the Ministry of Justice seriously undermines the legislative intent of the amended law," and added, "Polnetiang, a group of on-site police officers who enforce the law, expresses serious concerns about the legislative notice that diminishes the purpose of prosecution reform and breaks down the checks and balances."

Polnetiang pointed out the biggest issues of the legislative notice as follows: ▲ the enforcement decree being solely managed by the Ministry of Justice ▲ expansion of the prosecutor's direct investigation scope ▲ nullification of the police's primary authority to conclude investigations ▲ regression of mutual cooperative relations between the police and prosecution.

They stated, "It is a nominal enforcement decree that allows legal interpretation and amendments to be unilaterally decided by the Ministry of Justice," and emphasized, "Since this seriously undermines the principle of checks and balances, it must be revised to be 'jointly managed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety'." They also argued, "The prosecutor's control authority that exceeds the scope delegated by law must be withdrawn," and added, "Instead of strengthening the control of prosecutors, who are the same national investigative agency, police investigations should ultimately be subject to judicial control and public oversight."

Furthermore, Polnetiang stressed that to establish a democratic judicial structure separating investigation and prosecution, the prosecutor's direct investigation authority and exclusive warrant request rights must be abolished. They strongly demanded, "The National Police Agency, as the main national investigative body, must actively collect opinions from on-site police officers during the legislative notice period and make every effort to enact an enforcement decree that aligns with the legislative intent of prosecution reform, approaching this with a 'do or die' determination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.