Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su: "Need to Share Experiences and Wisdom from COVID-19 Cases"

Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo [Source provided by the Supreme Court]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo emphasized, "If the Judges' Representative Meeting shares experiences and wisdom related to trials of COVID-19 cases and informs all judges of the results, more parties involved will be able to quickly escape suffering and return to their livelihoods."

In his greeting at the '2021 National Judges' Representative Meeting Regular Session' held at the Judicial Research and Training Institute in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do at 10 a.m. on the 12th, Chief Justice Kim said, "At last month's National Court Presidents' Meeting, we shared the recognition that it is necessary to promptly handle cases closely related to citizens' lives, such as small claims and personal insolvency cases, even amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation. All judges are likely making efforts in their own ways to consider parties who are particularly suffering due to COVID-19 while hearing specific cases," proposing this.

At the meeting held via video conference that day, Chief Justice Kim said, "It marks the fourth year since the operation of the National Judges' Representative Meeting. Through the experience of the past three years, the National Judges' Representative Meeting has firmly taken root as a forum where ordinary judges can participate in judicial administration," and predicted, "Matters resolved at the National Judges' Representative Meeting have been a great foundation for improving trial systems and judicial administration systems, and will continue to be so."

He also said, "Last year, the National Judges' Representative Meeting discussed various topics. Most of the topics discussed were about system improvements," and added, "Now, I hope attention will be paid not only to system improvements but also to ways to realize 'good trials' under the current system."

Meanwhile, judges' representatives are holding their first regular meeting this year.

The Judges' Representative Meeting is a body where representatives from courts nationwide gather to discuss judicial system improvements and other matters. Regular meetings are held on the second Monday of April and the first Monday of December every year.

At this meeting, judges elect the chairpersons who will represent the body. They also listen to last year's National Judges' Representative Meeting activity report, receive the report from the election recommendation committee, hear explanations from judicial administration officers, complete the formation of subcommittees, and discuss how to solve the shortage of judges.

In particular, there is a possibility that an agenda related to former Busan High Court Chief Judge Im Seong-geun will be raised on-site. Even if it was not adopted as an agenda in advance, if nine attendees agree, the agenda can be raised on-site.

The National Assembly impeached former Chief Judge Im in February on the grounds that he intervened in major trials.

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