Law on nondisclosure of parliamentary intelligence committee meeting unconstitutional: Constitutional Court

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- The Constitutional Court on Thursday ruled against a law requiring parliamentary intelligence committee meetings to take place behind closed doors.

The court reached the ruling in a 7-2 vote in deciding that the section within Article 54 of the National Assembly Act, which warrants full nondisclosure of meetings of the intelligence committee, was unconstitutional.

The ruling immediately rendered the section of the law invalid.

It concluded that the section essentially neutralized the public's capacity to monitor and keep the committee's activities in check.

The court said the committee should not be allowed automatic full nondisclosure at all times, provided that the Constitution already includes an article that allows closed-door meetings in cases of a majority agreement by attending members or sensitive national security matters.

The court reviewed the case after two civic groups filed separate petitions in 2018 and 2020, respectively, following rejections from the National Assembly on requests asking for the releases of official minutes from the committee.

odissy@yna.co.kr
(END)