ResponseoftheJAPANtothe2023QuestionnaireofthelstStudyCommissionIAJ-UIM
66TheEffectsofRemoteWorkontheJudicialWorkplaceandthe
AdministrationofJustice''

Questions:1) Remoteworkofjudgesinyourcountrya･
Werejudgespermittedtoworkremotelyinyourcountrypriorto
and/orduringtheCOVID−19pandemic？IfyeS,pleasegive
examples(fbrexample,studyingcasesathome;discussingcases
withcolleaguesviavideoconferenCeapplicationsor.thetelephone
insteadofpersonalmeetings;holdinghearingsonlinevia
videoconferencingapplications;etc.).Wastechnicalequipment
madeavailabletothejudgest0enablethemtow0rkremotely？
Yes.

Examples:studyingcasesathome;holdingmeetingsoncaseswithpanel
membersandothercourtofficialsviavideoconferencingapplications.

b、

Whatisthestatus0fremoteworkbyjudgesinyourcountryn0w？
DomanyjudgesstillworkremotelyinyourCountry,andtowhat
extent？(fOrexampIe,aⅡorjustacertainpercentage0fjudges？
Onlyincertainfieldsoflaworhrcertaintypesofcases？O、lyin
lowercourts0rhighermurts？etc.）
Sameasa.

2)

EffeCtonjudicialwOrk
DidremoteworkchangejudicialworkingeneralfOrbetterora･w0rse−orboth−inyourcountry？PleasegiveexampIes、
Diversificationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantive
andefWcient,andwill leadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.
b、

Doestheremoteworkofjudgeshaveanimpactonthejudicial
w0rkplaceiny0urc0untry？Negative,positiveorb0th？PIeasegive
examples･Diversificationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantive
andefficient,andwill leadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.

C、

Fromyourpointofview,whatfUtureeffectsofremoteworkon
thejudicialworkplace‑negative,positiveorboth‑canbe
expected？

Diversificationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantive
andefficient,andwill leadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.
3)a･

EffectsontheadministrationofjusticeWhataretheprosandconsofremoteworkontheadministration
ofjustice？
DiversifYcationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantive
andefficient,andwill leadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.

b、

Doesremoteworkhaveapositiveornegativeimpactonthe
administrationofjusticeingeneralmyourcountry？Pleasegive
examplesthatinclude,butarenotlimitedto,thequalityoftheadministrationofjustice.
Diversificationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantive
andefYYcient,andwillleadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.

C、

Areyouawareofthepublic'sperceptionsofremoteworkby
judges？Pleasegiveexamplesofpositiveornegativeper ptions・Wedon'thaveagrasponit.

｡．

Whatarethepositiveand/ornegativeeffectsofholdingremotehearings/con従rences？
Diversificationofworkingstyleswillmakejudicialworkmoresubstantiveandefficient,andwill leadtotheprovisionofbetterjudicialservices.
4）

Remoteworkandjudicial independence
D⑪youseeanypositiveornegativeeffbctsofremoteworkonjudicial
independence？Ifyes，pleasegiveexamples･No.

5)

LimitsonremoteworkfOrjudges
Doesyourcountryplaceanylimitsontheremoteworkofjudges（fOrexample,limitsonremotehearingsincriminalcases)？Ifyes，pleasegiveexamples.
b、Arethereanyproposalstochangerulesorstatutesinyour
untryeithertopermitmore,ortoIimit,remotew0rkbyjudges？
C･
ShouldtherebeanychangesofrulesorstatuteSinyourCOuntryeithertopermitmore,⑪rtoIimit,rem0teworkfOrjudges？
WerefipainfiQomansweringquestionsa・ tOC.
a．

ReSpOnseoftheJAPANtotheINTERNATIONALASSOCIATIONOFJUDGES

2ndSTUDYCOMMISSION

Howdataprotectionrulesare impactingon theWayjudgeswork incivil
litigation？

1． Inyourjurisdictionisacourtconsideredtobeadatacontrollerfordata

protectionlawpurposesinall,orany,ofthefollowingsituations:a・WhenperformingitsjudiciaIfunctions？

b.FOrpurposesconnectedwiththeadministrationofjustice, includingthe
publicationofajudgmentorcourtdecision,0ralistorscheduleof

proceedingsorofhearingsinproceedings？

C・Forpurposesconnectedwiththeefficientmanagementandoperationof
thec0urtsandforstatisticalpurp⑪ses？

Nocourtsareconsideredtobeadatacontrollerbecausethedataprotectionlaw

ofJapan(theActontheProtectionofPersonal lnformation)doesnotapplyto
courts.Meanwhilel courts have inplace guidelines for handlingpersonal

informationthattheyretaininassociationWiththeadministrationofjustice・The
guidelineshavebeenestablished in light ofthepurposeoftheAct on theProtectionofPersonal lnformation.

2. Inyourjurisdictiondoesadatasubject(e､g・apartytolitigation,awitness,0rapartywhoseinterestsmaybeaffectedbythelitigation)havea
righttoinformationregardingtheprocessingoftheirpersonaldatabyoronbehalfofthecourts？

Asmentionedinl.above,thedataprotectionlawofJapan(theActontheProtectionofPersonal lnformation)doesnotapplytocourts.

3． Inyourjurisdictiondoesadatasubjectwhosepersonaldataispublishedinacourtdocumentsuchasajudgment,havetherighttoseekrectification
ofallegedlyinaccurate0rinappropriatelydiscIosedpers0maldata？

Asmentionedinl.above,thedataprotectionlawofJapan(theActonthe
ProtectionofPersonal lnformation)doesnotapplytocourts.

4. Inyourjurisdictionispersonaldatacontainedinajudgmentordecision

ofacourt,0rinalistorscheduleofproceedingsorhearings,generally
madeaccessibletothepublic？Ifso，arethereexceptionsandwhatare

they？Ifnot， istherearedactionrequirement，oraIternativerequirement9
tobeimplementedbefOreajudgment/list/schedulecanbepublishedsoas
t0safeguardtherightsofdatasubjects？

UndertheCodeofCivilProcedure, anypersonmayfilearequest toinspecta
caserecordofcivil litigation.

TherearethefbllowingexceptionsundertheCodeofCivilProcedure.Athird

partymayberestrictedfromaccessingpersonaldatacontainedinacaserecord
if: (i)amaterialpieceofconfidential infbrmationabouttheprivatelifeofaparty
isenteredorrecordedinthecaserecord, andathirdparty's inspection,etc.of
theconfidentialportionofthecaserecordwouldbesubstantiallydetrimental tothatparty'ssocial life;or(ii)atradesecretbeingkeptbyapartytothecasehaS
beenenteredorrecordedinthecaserecord.

5.Howarecomplaintsaddressedinyourjurisdictionconcerningalleged■

breachesbythec0urtsoftherightsofdatasubjects？Doesyourjurisdiction

haVeaPerSOnOrbodywithSpecialreSponSibilityforthesuPerviSionofdata
processing0perationsofcourtswhenactingintheirjudicialcapacity？

Asmentioned in l・ above, thedataprotection lawofJapan (theAct on theProtectionofPersOnal lnformation)doesnotapplytocourts.

6． Inyourexperiencehavedataprotectionrulesimpactedadverselyon
y0urjudicial independence？Ifso,h⑪whavetheydoneso？
Asmentionedinl.above,thedataprotectionlawofJapan(theActon theProtectionofPersonal lnformation)doesnotapplytocourts, andthereforethe

dataprotectionlawhasnever impactedadverselyonthejudicial independence.