Gender ministry revises rules to replace prosecutors with new prosecution service

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said Friday it has revised three of its enforcement rules to reflect the abolition of the prosecution service and the creation of two new investigative bodies.

The revisions, issued as Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Ordinance No. 17, take effect the same day. They follow the enactment of the Public Prosecution Service Act and the Act on the Organization and Operation of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, both legislated on March 24 and effective Oct. 2, along with an amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act passed on Aug. 4.

The ministry said the amendments are a blanket revision of three of its ordinances, matching the names of the old prosecution service to the launch of the Public Prosecution Service and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency after the prosecution service is abolished and the two bodies are established under the justice minister and the interior minister, respectively.

Under the changes, the enforcement rules for the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Offenses will replace references to "prosecutors or judicial police officers" with "judicial police officers," and the title of one attached form will change from "district prosecutors' office" to "district public prosecution office," while another form is deleted.

The amended rules also cover the enforcement rules for the Act on the Prevention of Sexual Violence and Protection of Victims and related regulations.