요코타 고로(橫田五郞)와 1920년대 조선총독부 사법부의 변화

Abstract

Previous studies concerning the judicial officers of the Japanese Government-General of Korea have predominantly focused on Korean lawyers, resulting in a relative lack of research on Japanese judicial officers who constituted the leadership or central part of the judicial branch within the Government-General of Joseon. Researches on Japanese judicial officials primarily concentrate on the early stages of the colonial period, but the composition of personnel established during that period did not persist throughout the entire colonial era. Several prior studies have highlighted a shift in power within the judicial branch after the March 1st Movement. Following the appointment of Yokota Gorou (橫田五郞) as the new director of the Bureau of Legal Affairs in December 1919, the faction led by judicial officials who had served before and after the annexation of Korea and Japan was dissolved. This led to personnel reforms and a shift in power to favor the selection of young judicial officers from both the Joseon’s judiciary and Japan’s home country. Apart from the revisions made to the civil and criminal ordinances in the 1920s, Yokota was involved in introducing the retirement age system for judges, ensuring command and supervision of lower courts by the chief judge of the High Court, establishing the Joseon Judicature Society(朝鮮司法協會), founding the Journal of the Society(司法協會雜誌), and organizing and operating the High Court’s Case Research Committee(高等法院判例調査會). It should not be asserted that the major changes in legislation and policy during this period solely stemmed from Yokota’s individual achievements or the result of power shifting to the ‘Yokota faction’ within the judicial branch. However, it is important to note that since the 1920s, the directors of the Bureau of Legal Affairs of the Government-General, chief judges and prosecutor-generals of the High Court have all been directly or indirectly associated with an individual named Yokota Goro. They held positions enabling them to influence critical decisions regarding legislation and policy.