대법원 판결서 개선의 당위성과 방향성

Written judgments of the Supreme Court of Korea are a means of communication, that is, a channel for the court to communicate not only with the parties involved but also with the legal experts and the general public. To communicate more effectively, it is necessary to enhance the level of readability and understandability of written judgments. The Supreme Court has continuously strived to write the judgments in a reader-friendly manner so as to improve understandability. However, further improvement efforts are required given that written judgments are still difficult to understand among ordinary citizens. Such efforts can be divided into two different aspects, namely, improvement in style and improvement in structure. The former involves the purification of language, simplification of sentences, and clarification of writing style, not to mention the usage of supplementary means (e.g., images and tables) and the individualization of writing style, to the extent that it does not substantially alter the inherent style and manner of written judgments. Meanwhile, the latter relates to the enhancement of the structural understanding of written judgments through providing sufficient information on the relevant case and the grounds of appeal; adopting the conclusion-first method and using the table of contents where appropriate; and achieving logical specification, diversification, and structuralization for argument behind the application of legal doctrines.