This study aims, by paying attention to the special values of records of Constitutional Court, to discuss the characteristics of them and figuring out their present state, and to suggest some measures for improvement in the records management. First o...
This study aims, by paying attention to the special values of records of Constitutional Court, to discuss the characteristics of them and figuring out their present state, and to suggest some measures for improvement in the records management. First of all, I defined the concept of the records of Constitutional Court and its scope, and made an effort to comprehend their types and distinct features, and on the basis of which I tried to grasp the characteristics of the records. Put simply, the records of Constitutional Court are essential records indispensible to the application of Constitutional Court’s documentation strategy of them, and they are valuable particularly at the level of the taking-root of democracy and the guarantee of human rights in a country. Owing to their characteristics of handling nationally important events, also, the context of the records is far-reaching to the records of other constitutional institutions and administrations, etc. Besides, since the approach of ordinary citizen to Trial records could be recognized as a barometer of democracy, it is a noticeable characteristic that the extensive opening of the records to the public is very important.
In the second place, I analyzed Records Management Present State. Above all, I analyzed the organization of Constitutional Court and its business activities. To be more specific, I analyzed its organization, composed of Secretariat and Justice Department for its business, and its function; and analyzed how a trial work processed in a realistic sense. And, by focusing on the fact that the records of Constitutional Court are in collusion with them of other institutions, I figured out stakeholder groups in relation to the business of Constitutional Court. At a division stage, I grasped the present state of creation, registration, and classification system of records. At an archives repository stage, I made efforts to figure out specifically the perseveration of records and the present of state of using them.
On the basis of such figuring-outs of the present situation of records of Constitutional Court, I pointed at problems in how to manage them and suggested some measures to improve it in accordance with the problems, by dividing its process into four, Infrastructure, Process, Opening to the public and Application. In the infrastructure process, after revealing problems in its system, facilities, and human power, I presented some ways to improve it. Before anything else, in terms of its system, I argued that it is required, at a records-management-law level, to define what relation Constitutional Court should have with other archives; at a regulation level, to recognize the necessity of records management regulation applicable to all sorts of its records and that of the establishment of other independent archives. In terms of its facilities, I asserted that it is necessary to expand preservation facilities, appropriate to conserve archives in perpetuation, in which there are enough reading spaces. In terms of human power, along with emphasizing the necessity of expanding a number of employed experts fitting to the function of Constitutional Court’s business, I suggested how to improve professionalism of archivists charged with Trial Records.
In terms of its process, by focusing on classification and appraisal, I pointed out problems in them and suggested alternatives. In classification, I suggested to change the classification structure of trial records; in appraisal, I insisted on reconsidering the method of appropriating the retention periods of administration records, for it is not correspondent with reality in which, even in an file of a event, there are several different retention periods so it is likely for the context of the event worryingly to be segmented.
Lastly, in opening to the public and application, I pointed at problems in information disclosure at first, and made a suggestion of the establishment of a wide information disclosure law applicable to all sort of records. In application, I contended the expansion of the possibility of application of records and the scope of them through cooperation with other related-institutions. In addition, I asserted that exhibition, content-making, and educational activities, etc. should be actively achieved.