A Brief Introduction to the Korean Judicial System and Court Hierarchy

No 13 (2021) by Subin Cho

Briefing Paper 13-front cover

This paper introduces the Republic of Korea’s judicial system and court hierarchy. It outlines the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Court and three-tiered court system and the qualifications and appointments of judges. It also introduces citizens’ participation in criminal trials and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms available in Korea, including arbitrations and civil conciliation proceedings. This paper concludes by discussing some current controversial issues in law and society in Korea.

Subin Cho was a research assistant at the Asian Law Centre during the three years she studied JD at Melbourne Law School. She is an associate at Baker McKenzie (Sydney).

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