PPP to file constitutional complaint against prosecution bill

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) intends to submit a constitutional complaint against a recent legal amendment that removes prosecutors' authority to directly investigate cases, a party official disclosed on Wednesday. The PPP has expressed concerns that this amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act could contravene their right to request warrants, as well as undermine victim protection.

The party plans to file the complaint within the current week or early next week, according to a floor official from the PPP. Despite objections from the PPP, the Cabinet approved the bill last week. Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig emphasized that the amendment is inconsistent with the nation's criminal justice system. The Constitution entitles prosecutors to request warrants, and the party contends that the amendment is unconstitutional because it restricts prosecutors' ability to investigate while preventing them from obtaining warrants, he asserted on a YouTube program on Channel A. The party is currently preparing to file a constitutional complaint.

In the new system, the prosecution will oversee police investigations, while courts will supervise the prosecution's investigative actions. The amendment is set to take effect on October 2, when the prosecution will be divided into two separate agencies responsible for investigations and indictments. Under the amendment, prosecutors will no longer have the right to conduct direct investigations, such as supplementary investigations.

Instead, they will have to request the police to carry out such investigations, which the police will have up to two months to complete. The PPP has also argued that this amendment could enable the prosecution and courts to drop charges against President Lee Jae Myung, who has been facing multiple trials since his inauguration in June 2025.

President Lee has defended the amendment, citing the need to address the excessive powers prosecutors have held for several decades, including the authority to make indictments and request court warrants.