국제인권법의 국내 적용과 사법부 ― 결사의 자유와 관련된 판결ㆍ결정 검토를 중심으로 ―

Since the Republic of Korea ratified the International Bill of Human Rights including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1990, the lack of clarity as to whether all Covenant rights can be invoked in domestic courts has been raised. Article 6, paragraph 1, of the Constitution provides that “treaties duly concluded and promulgated under the Constitution and the generally recognized rules of international law shall have the same effect as the domestic laws of the Republic of Korea”. Accordingly, the Administration and the Court are obliged to observe the Covenants and the generally recognized rules of international human rights law when exercising their powers. Nevertheless, it has been noted that any case law as to whether all Covenant rights can be invoked in domestic courts is absent or, judicial use being contradictory to the principles of the international human rights law is frequently found. This article reviews decisions of the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Korea regarding implementation of freedom of association of the ICCPR, ICESCR and the relevant ILO core Conventions. To fully implement freedom of association and improve the judicial use of international human rights law, this article reiterates that domestic law should be interpreted as far as possible in a way which conforms to a State's international legal obligations, and discusses over some principles with a view to the judicial use of international human rights law as a guide for interpretation of domestic laws.