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South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Bill Denying Right to Counsel for Anti-State Criminals

Categories: East Asia, South Korea, Breaking News, Citizen Media, Digital Activism, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Law, Protest

A ruling party lawmaker, Kim Jin-tae proposed a bill [1][ko] that either denies or greatly limits the right to counsel for criminals who are accused of committing ‘anti-state activities’. It has already drawn harsh criticism from civil rights lawyers who call it ‘utterly unconstitutional idea’ [2] [ko] and sparked heated debates in major South Korean online venues. Vice chairman of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society's Judicial Committee, Lee Jae-hwa (@jhohmylaw [3]tweeted [4][ko] as below. 

[After linking to news article [7] [ko] about the bill] Kim Jin-tae is totally delusional. What would be his next step? He may even propose a bill legalizing torture.