ed Distrust in judiciary
Judges should not compromise justice
The judiciary is the last bastion of law and justice. It should play a crucial role of guaranteeing the rule of law, a key element of democracy. What would happen if we didn’t have a functioning judicial system? A new movie, “Unbowed,” gives us a clue.
The low-budget film is based on the real story of mathematics professor Kim Myeong-ho who was fired for pointing out an error in his university’s entrance exam. After losing his legal battle for reinstatement, he fired a crossbow at the presiding judge who rejected his appeal.
It has become a hit as more and more people are sympathizing with the professor. No doubt, the box-office success reflects growing public distrust in the judiciary. Of course, viewers should not confuse the film with reality. But judges should humbly accept the movie’s message.
Judges must make all-out efforts to restore public trust in the judiciary. They have to admit that people have long harbored distrust in the system. The problem dates back to the 1970s and the early 1980s when the judiciary was forced to be the servant of dictatorial regimes. During those times, judges handed down harsh prison sentences to many dissidents, opposition politicians, scholars, unionists and student activists on trumped-up charges.
The nation launched its democratization process after a 1987 popular uprising led to the downfall of the military regime. But the judiciary has done little to change itself to meet the democratic trend. Judges have only tried to maintain their vested interest. They have often made rulings in favor of clients of retired judges so as to help their former colleagues collect huge legal fees.
No one can deny that judges have failed to promote neutrality and independence of the judiciary. They have usually been too lenient to law-breaking politicians and businessmen, while getting tougher with ordinary citizens. Therefore, people have often cynically said that the rich and powerful are innocent, while the poor and weak are guilty. It is common practice to release owners of family-run conglomerates on suspended jail terms even for grave crimes such as accounting fraud, embezzlement and illegal political donations. However, poor people committing minor offenses have to serve time in prison.
The judiciary should no longer reign over the people, trampling their human rights and impeding the rule of law. Judges cannot regain the trust of the public without making fair and unbiased rulings whoever the accused are. The Seoul Central District Court is to hold a dialogue with the people on Feb. 6 to listen to their voices. We hope such a meeting will help the judiciary better serve the public. Judges should not compromise justice for whatever reasons as the title of the movie implies.