Requested to evade’Lee Seok-tae’, chairman of Sewol-ho…憲 unanimously dismissed

Im Seong-geun (57, 17th Judicial Research and Training Institute), the former chief judge of the Busan High Court, against the Constitutional Judge Lee Seok-tae, the head of the impeachment trial, was dismissed.

The Constitutional Court announced on the 8th that it rejected Judge Lim’s request for challenge due to the unanimous opinion of all the judges involved in the hearing. The decision to dismiss this time was made by the other eight judges, excluding Lee, who is the party to be challenged.

The decision of the Constitutional Constitution came out 13 days after the former vice-president Lim filed an application to challenge the Constitutional Constitution on the 23rd of last month.

Former Vice-President Judge Lim filed an appeal for refusal because Judge Lee served as the Chairman of the Special Investigation Committee for the Sewol Ferry in 2015, and served as Chairman of the Association of Attorneys for Democratic Society (Minbyun) from 2004 to 2006. Former Deputy Judge Lim argued that it was difficult to expect a fair judgment from this judge over the suspicion of the’Sewol ferry 7-hour trial intervention’ presented by the National Assembly as the main reason for impeachment.

In the decision to dismiss the refusal, the Constitution explained the reason, “It is difficult to see that there is an objective situation that makes it difficult to expect a fair judgment in this case only because of the fact that you have served as Chairman of the Special Assistance Committee of the Sewol ferry and Chairman Minbyun.” Regarding this, former vice-president Judge Lim said, “There is no special stance on the decision to dismiss the constitution from the standpoint of being tried.”

Previously, the first pleading preparation date, which was scheduled for the 26th of last month, was postponed due to an application for refusal by former chief judge Lim. This is because the Constitutional Court Act applies mutatis mutandis to the Civil Procedure Act, which states that if there is a request for challenge, the proceedings must be suspended. Former vice-president Judge Lim retired due to the expiration of his term on the 28th of last month, and the first trial for impeachment trial was received as a natural person.

It is said that the constitution has yet to notify the parties of when the date will be redesignated while deciding to dismiss the refusal on that day. Due to the constitutional decision on that day, the procedure for impeachment trial by former vice-president Lim is expected to resume sooner or later.

Reporter Lee Sujeong [email protected]