Input 2021.03.24 16:59
210,000 pages of evidence to be reviewed… It seems to take a long time
The Constitutional Court held the date of preparation for the pleadings in the case of impeachment of former vice-president Impeachment at the subtrial judgment at 2 pm on the same day. The judiciary listened to the arguments of the National Assembly and former vice-president Judge Im, who submitted the impeachment bill, and settled the issues and evidence. On this day, the preparatory procedure was held by the hearing of three life-time judges, including Judge Lee Seok-tae and Judges Lee Mi-sun and Lee Young-jin. The party, former vice-president Judge Lim, did not attend because he was not obligated to attend.
The main contents of the impeachment prosecution against Judge Lim, which the Constitution focused on, were ▲Sankei Shimbun’s former president Park Geun-hye’s involvement in the 7-hour defamation case of the Sewol ferry ▲Pro baseball player Oh Seung-hwan and Lim Chang-yong’s brief order for gambling crime referral to the trial proceedings ▲ The meeting of lawyers for the democratic society related to the 2015 Ssangyong car rally (Minbyun) involved in the trial of the arrest of attorneys.
Representatives of the National Assembly argued that the trial of the defamation case of former President Park and the involvement of the former vice-president judge in the trial were in violation of Articles 1, 7, 12, 101 of the Constitution and Article 38 of the Criminal Procedure Act. In addition, the former chief judge Lim retired due to the end of his term at the end of last month, but he said that a trial was necessary to protect the constitutional order.
It was also noted that the impeachment bill was insufficient to explain the violation of the constitution and laws by former vice-president Lim. Song Doo-hwan, attorney on behalf of the National Assembly, said, “It is difficult to say that the prosecution statement has been sufficiently addressed in our view on the facts, constitution, and how any provisions of the law subject to impeachment prosecution have been violated.” It can be different, so we are additionally reviewing which part of each crime was violated,” he said.
On the other hand, Judge Lim argued that the impeachment prosecution after the disciplinary action is a violation of the principle of non-discrimination, so the impeachment prosecution in the relevant part should be dismissed. Along with this, it was also said that the case should be dismissed as there was no real benefit (dismissal) of impeachment as the former chief judge Lim retired. The court sentenced former vice-president Lim innocent at the first trial last year for involvement in the 7-hour defamation case trial of the Sewol ferry.
Regarding the involvement in the trial, the former vice-president Judge Lim said, “(In the prosecution), it was expressed as if the former vice-president Lim requested amendment of part of the judgment using his position. It’s just the level of what I presented,” he explained.
The constitution plans to proceed with the trial as quickly as possible. However, the court and prosecutors’ case records related to the allegations of’intervention in the trial’ of the former chief judge Lim are more than 210,000 pages, and it will take a considerable time before the next trial is held. The representative of the National Assembly said, “I look at the criminal case records (related to the former chief judge). It is difficult to predict, but I think it will take about three weeks as soon as possible.”
The Constitutional Court concluded the trial on this day, and decided to set a date for the main trial later in consideration of the period of evidence investigation. Judge Lee Myung-jin said, “I am well aware that there are legal claims for continuing (continuing) the trial,” and said, “Our judgment is to do it as soon as possible.”