Democratic Party criticizes Cho's nomination refusal, signals leadership talks on impeachment

청와대가 대법원에 대법관 재제청 절차를 신속히 진행해 달라고 촉구했다. 강유정 청와대 수석대변인은 11일 브리핑에서 대법관 장기 공석으로 국민의 재판받을 권리가 침해되지 않도록 후보추천위원회의 추천 내용을 존중해 재제청해 달라고 밝혔다.

청와대는 지난달 28일 노태악 전 대법관의 후임으로 제청된 손봉기 대구지법 부장판사의 임명동의안을 국회에 제출하지 않기로 했다. 다른 후보를 제청해 달라는 요청 이후 2주 넘게 대법원 입장이 나오지 않자, 지난 1월 추천위가 추천한 후보 가운데 손 후보자를 제외한 3명 중 한 명을 다시 제청하라고 요구했다.

조 대법원장은 이날 서울 서초구 대법원에서 열린 제12회 대한민국 법원의 날 기념식에서 사법권 독립이 압력과 간섭 속에 시험받아 왔다고 말했다. 법원이 국가기관과 정치권력, 사회 세력, 소송 당사자의 부당한 영향을 받지 않고 헌법과 법률에 따라 공정하게 재판해야 국민의 권리를 보장할 수 있다고 강조했다.

Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae said on the 22nd that he would not accept the presidential office’s request for a new Supreme Court justice nomination. He said the request lacked constitutional grounds, 25 days after receiving it on the 28th of the previous month, and the presidential office expressed regret in two statements.

Cho said in his statement that the president’s acts in matters of state must take the form of documents countersigned by the prime minister and the relevant cabinet members. He said the request document did not specify reasons or constitutional grounds, and that he could not comply because he could find no grounds or reasons to justify it.

On the 28th of the previous month, the presidential office requested a new nomination, alleging procedural problems with the recommendation to appoint Son Bong-gi, a presiding judge at the Daegu District Court, to succeed former Supreme Court Justice Roh Tae-ak. It objected that the nomination had been submitted only in writing, without consultation with President Lee Jae-myung or a presidential meeting, and sent the Supreme Court a request document in the president’s name.

About 30 minutes after the refusal was announced, the presidential office countered that an argument requiring the president to appoint the chief justice’s nominee as presented would undermine the president’s appointment power. In a second statement, it criticized the chief justice for professing ignorance of already known reasons for returning the nomination because they were absent from the official document.

The Democratic Party decided to seek Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's designation as a general witness for the legislation and judiciary committee's October 6 parliamentary audit. The aim is to prevent the customary departure after opening remarks on the first day; a key committee source said a vote to designate him as a general witness was planned for the 28th.

The Democratic Party criticized Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's refusal to renominate a Supreme Court justice candidate. While some party members called for a renewed impeachment effort, the leadership plans first to question the constitutionality of the refusal at the October parliamentary audit.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said at an emergency press conference at the National Assembly that the refusal to renominate was constitutional and the best choice available to the chief justice. The opposition argued that President Lee's request for renomination violated the Constitution.

People Power Party members of the legislation and judiciary committee urged President Lee to submit a motion seeking parliamentary consent to the appointment of Son Bong-gi, the Supreme Court justice candidate nominated by Chief Justice Cho.