Thirty foreign lawyers in Korea have been signed up to help the Korean Bar Association improve and update the country’s judicial reporting, publishing and technological systems to international standards.
The 30 lawyers – who come from a “wide cross-section of Korean law firms and foreign jurisdictions,” said the KBA – were invited to form the new Foreign Lawyers Judicial Reform Advisory Committee, which had its first meeting on 12 March. Members are to report on the systems employed by foreign countries and suggest ways that Korea can adopt new systems for court recording, fast-tracking publication of judgements, and use of technology in the courts. Currently Korean courts publish a select number of decisions often a week after they were issued, and neither the parties or the public do not have access to recordings of court proceedings.
“The KBA wishes to gain a greater understanding of how other international jurisdictions approach these complex topics,” said a spokesman from the Bar. “For this reason, the KBA established an advisory committee of foreign lawyers to assist with its review.”
The group does not have any decision-making powers, but the KBA expects that the committee may also advise on other unspecified projects in the future.
Yulchon lawyer David Linton, a committee member, said that while the outcome of establishing the committee is yet to be seen, it is another step for the KBA in increasing international engagement. “As the practice of law becomes increasingly global, this kind of dialogue and engagement will be increasingly important for all law firms involved in the Korean market,” he said.
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