Documents concerning proposed amendments to South Korea’s Criminal Procedure Act are displayed during a bill review subcommittee meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. Photo by Asia Today
July 22 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's ruling Democratic Party reaffirmed Wednesday that prosecutors should be barred from conducting investigations as lawmakers accelerated their review of legislation abolishing prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority.
A National Assembly judiciary subcommittee completed its initial review of three proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act and began working to reconcile key differences into a single alternative bill.
Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party, said there was no disagreement within the party over the principle of separating investigative and prosecutorial authority.
"The principle that prosecutors do not investigate is both the starting point and the completion of prosecution reform separating investigations from indictments," Han said during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council.
