The government will legally remove public officials' duty to obey orders from their superiors after 76 years, amid rising concerns about unjust instructions following the December 3 martial law declaration.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced on Tuesday a draft amendment to the State Public Officials Act, changing its duty-of-obedience clause to one mandating a duty to "follow command and supervision."

The revision stipulates that officials may express opinions on a superior's command or supervision regarding a specific job, refuse to execute when it is determined to be unlawful and cannot be unfavorably treated for doing so.

Another clause stipulating officials' "duty of good faith" will now read "observance of statute and duty of good faith" and mandate that officials observe the law and ordinances and fulfill their duty to the people.

The "duty to obey" clause has been included in the Act since its 1949 enactment to improve efficiency and unify administrative operations. The ministry said the amendments aim to encourage reasonable decision-making through dialogue and debate.