CHAPTER 4 PRE-TRIAL CRIMINAL PROCEDUREI.

INTRODUCTION

Japan is a unitary state, and the same criminal procedure applies throughout the nation. The Code of
Criminal Procedure of 1948 (hereinafter CCP), the Act on Criminal Trials Examined under the Lay Judge
System, and the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1949 are the principal sources of law.
II.

CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDSThe Constitution of Japan has an extensive list of constitutional guarantees that relate to the criminal
process. Article 31 provides that “no person shall be deprived of life, or liberty, nor shall any other criminal
penalty be imposed, except according to procedure established by law,” while Article 33 states that “noperson shall be apprehended except upon warrant issued by a competent judicial officer which specifies
the offence with which the person is charged, unless he is apprehended, the offence being committed.”
Further, as prescribed in Article 34, “no person shall be arrested or detained without being at once informedof the charges against him or without the immediate privilege of counsel; nor shall he be detained without
adequate cause; and upon demand of any person such cause must be immediately shown in open court inhis presence and the presence of his counsel.” Article 35 provides for the protection of one’s residence andproperty, stating “the right of all persons to be secure in their homes, papers and effects against entries,
searches and seizures shall not be impaired except upon warrant issued for adequate cause and particularly
describing the place to be searched and things to be seized, or except as provided by Article 33.”
As for the trial proceedings, Article 38 provides that “no person shall be compelled to testify against
himself,” and that a “confession made under compulsion, torture or threat, or after prolonged arrest or
detention shall not be admitted in evidence.” It further provides that “no person shall be convicted or
punished in cases where the only proof against him is his own confession.” As for the protection of someof the basic rights of the individual who is facing a criminal trial as an accused, Article 37 provides that“in all criminal cases, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial by an impartial tribunal;
he shall be permitted full opportunity to examine all witnesses, and he shall have the right of compulsory
process for obtaining witnesses on his behalf at public expense; at all times the accused shall have theassistance of competent counsel who shall, if the accused is unable to secure the same by his own efforts,
be assigned to his use by the State.” According to Article 39, “no person shall be held criminally liable foran act which was lawful at the time it was committed, or of which he has been acquitted, nor shall he beplaced in double jeopardy.”
Finally, Article 40 provides that “any person, in case he is acquitted after he has been arrested ordetained, may sue the State for redress as provided by law.”III.

INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIESThe police are the primary investigative agency in Japan. Officers of certain other administrative
bodies, such as narcotics agents and coast guard officers, have limited jurisdiction to investigate certain
type of offences, whereas police officers have general jurisdiction.
The vast majority of criminal cases are investigated by the police and referred to public prosecutors.
As the police do not have the power to make charging decisions, all cases investigated by the police,
except for very minor offences prescribed by prosecutorial guidelines, must be sent to public prosecutors
for disposition.
Japanese law does not permit private prosecutions, and public prosecutors have exclusive power to-15-

decide whether or not to prosecute. Besides, they are fully authorized to conduct criminal investigations,and they actively supplement police investigation by directly interviewing witnesses and interrogatingsuspects. Prosecutors may also instruct police officers as they consider necessary during an investigation.
Prosecutors can also initiate their own investigations; delicate or complicated cases such as bribery or largescale financial crime involving politicians, high-ranking government officials, or corporate executives areoften investigated entirely by prosecutors without any police involvement.
IV.

INVESTIGATION PROCESSA.

Overview

Japanese police and public prosecutors, to the extent possible, conduct criminal investigations
without resorting to compulsive measures such as arrest, searches, and seizures. Even for serious offences,
they gather as much information as possible on a voluntary basis and carefully evaluate whether an arrest isnecessary or if the investigation should continue without arresting the suspect. In 2012, 67.3 percent ofsuspects of non-traffic offences were investigated and processed without arrest.9
The procedure after arrest is as follows:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

B.

When the police arrest a suspect, they must refer the suspect, along with supporting documents
and evidence, to a public prosecutor within 48 hours; otherwise the suspect must be released.
Within 24 hours after receiving the suspect, the prosecutor must do either one of the following:
apply to a judge for a pre-indictment detention; prosecute the case; or release the suspect.
If an application for pre-indictment detention is granted, a judge will issue a warrant, and thesuspect will be taken into detention. Its duration is ten days, which may be extended for up toanother ten days.
The public prosecutor must prosecute the case within the authorized pre-indictment detention
period. Otherwise, the suspect must be released. If the case is prosecuted, the pre-indictment
detention is automatically converted to pre-trial detention.

Initiating a Criminal Investigation

A criminal investigation is initiated when an investigative agency becomes aware that a crime has
been committed. Although there is no limit on what could trigger this, typical causes determined by law
include (1) discovery of an offender in flagrante, (2) autopsy of a body following unnatural death, (3)accusation by the victim or another person, (4) agency request, (5) admission of guilt, and (6) policequestioning.
(1)
(2)

(3)

9

Discovery in flagrante
Cases where the perpetrator is caught in the act of committing a crime, or where a person may
be clearly deemed to have just committed a crime.
Autopsy of a body following unnatural death
When a body is discovered and the cause of death is deemed highly likely to have been acriminal act, or when such a cause cannot be ruled out, the investigative agency must conduct
an external autopsy. This is a non-invasive examination to assess the condition of a body. If,
as a result of the external autopsy, a need is seen to delve further into the cause of death, a
medico-legal or forensic autopsy is generally carried out by a doctor, pending the issue of acourt warrant.
Accusation by the victim or another person
Cases where the victim of a crime reports the crime to an investigative agency and seeks
criminal proceedings against the perpetrator. Also, in cases where a person other than thevictim reports the crime to an investigative agency and seeks criminal proceedings against theperpetrator.

White Paper on Crime 2013, Ministry of Justice, Japan.

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(4)
(5)
(6)

C.

Agency request
Cases where an organization prescribed by law reports a crime to an investigative agency andseeks criminal proceedings against the perpetrator.
Admission of guilt
Cases where the perpetrator admits having committed a crime to an investigative agency
before the crime is detected.
Police questioning
Police officers may stop and question any person when suspecting that the person has
committed some kind of crime or is about to do so, judging from unusual behaviour or thesurrounding circumstances, or when deeming the person to know something about a crime thathas been or is about to be committed. If it is disadvantageous to the person to be questioned
there and then, or if the questioning causes a traffic obstruction, officers may ask the person toaccompany them to the nearest police station for questioning.

ArrestAs a general rule, a judicially issued warrant is required to arrest a suspect. Police officers designatedby law and all public prosecutors are authorized to apply to a judge for an arrest warrant, and a warrant
shall be issued if a judge deems that there exists sufficient probable cause to suspect that the person has
committed an offence.
Japanese law does not recognize a class of offence, for which warrantless arrests are generally
permitted. There are two exceptions to the judicial warrant requirement under the CCP, which are thefollowing;
(1)

(2)

Flagrant Offenders:
A flagrant offender (an offender who is in the very act of committing or has just committed
an offence) may be arrested by any person without a warrant. When it appears evident that aperson has committed an offence shortly before, and one of the prescribed legal criteria is met,such a person is also treated as a flagrant offender.10
Emergency Arrests:“When there are sufficient grounds to suspect the commission of an offence punishable by
the death penalty, or imprisonment for life or for a maximum period of three years or more,
and in addition, because of great urgency an arrest warrant from a judge cannot be obtained, apublic prosecutor, a public prosecutor’s assistant officer, or a judicial police official may arrest
the suspect after notifying the suspect of the reasons therefor.” 11

When an offender is taken into emergency arrest, an application for an arrest warrant must be filed
immediately. If the warrant is not issued, the suspect must be released.
D.

Post-Arrest Procedure

Following an arrest, a police officer or a public prosecutor must immediately notify the suspectof the essential facts of the suspected crime, inform him or her of the right to counsel, and then offer an
opportunity to present his or her explanation.
If the arrest was made by the police, the suspect, along with supporting evidence, must be referred
to a public prosecutor within 48 hours, or the suspect must be released. After receiving the suspect, thepublic prosecutor must immediately inform the suspect of the essential facts of the suspected crime andoffer further opportunity to present his or her explanation. This is an important step in the early stage ofinvestigation as it is the public prosecutor’s initial opportunity to interrogate the suspect.
Within 24 hours of receiving the suspect, the public prosecutor must either apply to a judge for a preindictment detention; prosecute the case; or release the suspect. The police are not authorized to apply for
pre-indictment detention: the application must be made by a public prosecutor. If the suspect was arrested
by a public prosecutor and not by the police, the application for pre-indictment detention must be made10
11

CCP Articles 212 and 213.
CCP Article 210.

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within 48 hours after the arrest.
A judge will then review the file, take a statement from the suspect, and decide on the prosecutor’s
application. A pre-indictment detention warrant shall issue if a judge deems that there exists probable cause tosuspect that the suspect has committed the offence, one of the following conditions is met, and the judge
does not consider it unnecessary.
(1)
(2)
(3)

The suspect has no fixed residence;
There is probable cause to believe that the suspect may conceal or destroy evidence; or
The suspect has fled or there is probable cause to believe that the suspect may flee.

If these conditions are not met, the judge will deny the prosecutor’s application and order theimmediate release of the suspect. In practice, applications for pre-indictment detention are granted in mostof the cases because public prosecutors carefully screen suspects to be detained.12
The duration of pre-indictment detention is ten days and, upon application by a public prosecutor,
a judge may grant an extension for up to another ten days. Thus, the maximum length of pre-indictment
custody is 23 days, including the initial 72 hours following the arrest. The public prosecutor must prosecutethe case within the authorized period, or the suspect must be released.
During pre-indictment detention, many suspects are detained in police jails instead of detention
houses. The Act on Penal Detention Facilities and Treatment of Inmates and Detainees allows such
substitutions when approved by a judge.
E.

Collection of Evidence
Evidence can be either one of two categories: statements and non-statements.

1.

Taking Statements

When investigators take statements from witnesses and suspects, they will prepare a detailed
summary of what has been said during the interview or interrogation. The summary will be read to or readby the interviewee for confirmation, and if agreed, it will be signed. Such written statements are admissible
as evidence if the defendant consents to their use, or they fit in one of the hearsay exceptions provided forin the CCP. See page 32 for more details on the hearsay rule.
2.

Interrogation of Suspects

Police officers and public prosecutors may ask suspects to appear in their offices for interrogation,and suspects under arrest or detention are obligated to comply. However, Article 38-1 of the Constitution
guarantees the right against self-incrimination, and Article 198-2 of the CCP requires investigators to notify
the suspect, in advance of the questioning, that he or she is not required to make any statement against hisor her will. In order to be admissible at trial, confessions must be voluntarily made. In this regard, CCP
Article 319-1 provides that “confession made under compulsion, torture or threat, or after prolonged arrest
or detention, or which is suspected not to have been made voluntarily shall not be admitted in evidence.”
Audio and video recording of interrogations
Details of statements made by suspects during questioning are compiled into written statements byinvestigating officers and used as evidence in trials. There, however, the admissibility of a confession
made during questioning is often disputed, in that the confession may have been forced or induced by
the investigating officer and not made voluntarily, among other reasons.
Therefore, in cases of homicide and other serious case subject to trial by lay judges, cases inwhich the suspect has a mental disorder, and cases in which the Special Criminal Investigation
Department of a District Public Prosecutor’s Office conducts the investigation, interrogations are now
video recorded. These recordings are used as means of verification, in case the voluntary nature of aconfession made during questioning is disputed at trial. In principle, everything is recorded from the12

Only 1.4 percent of applications for detention were dismissed in 2012. (White Paper on Crime 2013, Ministry of Justice, Japan).

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time the suspect enters the room to the time the suspect leaves.
3.

Searches and Seizures

In order to lawfully search for and seize evidence, a judicially issued warrant is required. The only
exception to this requirement is for searches and seizures incident to arrest. According to Supreme Court
precedents, a serious violation of search and seizure rules may result in the inadmissibility of evidence soacquired.

Public Prosecutor's Interrogation (moot)F.

The Right to Counsel

The right to counsel is guaranteed by the Constitution and the CCP. Suspects may retain a counsel
at any time at their own expense. Confidential communication is guaranteed, and suspects under arrest or
detention are entitled to meet with their counsel and to exchange documents or articles without any officials
being present.
Previously, court-appointed counsel was available only after indictment. However, a CCP
amendment, effective 2006, expanded the rule: now, suspects held in pre-indictment detention for certain
serious offences are entitled to ask for court-appointed counsel if they are unable to appoint one because
of indigence or other reasons.
Furthermore, the Bar Associations operate the Toban-Bengoshi system, which was introduced in
1990. Toban-Bengoshi means “an attorney on duty,” and when requested by an arrested person or his or her
family, a Toban-Bengoshi will immediately visit the arrested person at the police station to provide legal
advice. This first visit is provided free of charge.
G.

Bail

Suspects under pre-indictment detention are not bailable. When they are indicted, their legal statuschanges from a suspect to a defendant, and from that point on, they become eligible for bail. Bail must be
granted except when:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)

the defendant is charged with an offence punishable by death, life, or a minimum term of one
year’s imprisonment;
the defendant was previously convicted of an offence punishable by death, life, or a maximum
term of more than ten years’ imprisonment;
the defendant has habitually committed an offence for which a maximum term of imprisonmentof three years or more is prescribed;
there is probable cause to suspect that the defendant may conceal or destroy evidence;
there is probable cause to suspect that the defendant may harm or threaten the body or propertyof the victim or any other person who is deemed to have essential knowledge for the trial of
the case or the relatives of such persons; orthe defendant’s name or residence is unknown.

-19-Likelihood of reoffending is not a valid ground for denying bail. When granting bail, the court
isrequired to set the amount of the bail bond. The court may also add other appropriate conditions, andin practice, bail is often subject to the condition that the defendant not contact co-defendants, witnesses,
or victims.
A. Independent Investigation by the Public Prosecutor
For cases indicted directly by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and cases in which the public prosecutor has
initiated criminal investigation, the public prosecutor may sometimes carry out investigation independently without
involving the police. This is called independent investigation, and typically concerns investigation in cases
involving by economic crime or corruption. Special Criminal Investigation Departments established in Tokyo,
Osaka and Nagoya frequently carry out independent investigations.
B. Legislation on Extradition and International Assistance in Criminal Investigation
1. Extradition of Fugitives
The requirements and procedures for extraditing fugitives from Japan are provided in the Act of Extradition.
The requirements for extradition are that the offence in question must not be a political one, that the offence mustbe punishable by death, imprisonment for life or for a long term of three years or more, that the principle of dual
criminality is recognized, that there is good reason to believe that the person in question has committed the offence,and that the principle of reciprocity is guaranteed, among others. When the person in question is Japanese, he or she
may in principle not be extradited to another country, but need to be punished by proxy. However, Japanesenationals may be extradited from Japan in line with extradition agreements. Japan currently has agreements with
the USA and South Korea on the extradition of Japanese nationals.
Requests from other countries for the extradition of fugitives from Japan must be made through the Ministryof Foreign Affairs. Following review by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice, the request
must be referred to the Tokyo High Court by the Tokyo High Public Prosecutor’s Office. When urgent, the person
in question may be placed under provisional detention.
When Japan receives a request from another country for the extradition of a fugitive, the request is granted inline with the requirements and procedures set forth in the Act of Extradition, as long as the principle of reciprocity
is guaranteed, even if no extradition agreement exists with that country. Moreover, since this makes it possible toguarantee the principle of reciprocity with the other country, fugitives may also be extradited to Japan fromcountries with which no extradition agreement exists, as long as it is permitted under the law of the other country.
2. Assistance in criminal investigation
The requirements and procedures for assisting in a criminal investigation when a request for assistance has been
received from another country are set forth in the Act on International Assistance in Investigation and Other
Related Matters. The requirements for assisting in investigation are more relaxed than those for the extradition of
fugitives; among others, they stipulate that the offense in question must not be a political one, that the principle ofdual criminality should be recognized, and that the principle of reciprocity should be guaranteed.
Requests from other countries for Japan’s assistance in criminal investigation must, in principle, be madethrough the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following review by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister ofJustice then decides whether to instruct the Chief Public Prosecutor to gather the necessary evidence, or to send therequest from the other country to the National Public Safety Commission and have the evidence gathered by thepolice. As well as discretionary investigation, the public prosecutor or judicial police may also carry out searches
and other compulsory investigation, ask the courts to question witnesses, and so on.
Even when Japan has no agreement on assistance in investigation with the country concerned, it may bepossible to assist in investigation through diplomatic routes when receiving a request for assistance in providing theevidence needed to investigate a criminal case in that country. This also means that, as long as it is permitted under
the law of the other country, evidence necessary for criminal investigation may also be received from the othercountry.
Besides this, Japan currently has treaties or agreements on criminal assistance with the USA, South Korea,
the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, the EU and the Russian Federation. With each of these, requests may
be made between the central authorities (in Japan, the Ministry of Justice and the National Police Agency) without
going via diplomatic routes, and steps are being taken to increase the speed and efficiency of assistance in criminal
investigation.
Finally, in cases other than those where evidence to be submitted to a court is gathered, the National Public
Safety Commission exchanges the necessary information with the International Criminal Police Organization(Interpol).

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V.

DISPOSITION OF CASES

A.

Responsible for Prosecution1.

Principle

juries.

Japan does not have a system of private prosecution or police prosecution, and there are no grandPublic prosecutors have the exclusive power to decide whether to prosecute, 13 and this system iscalled“monopolization of prosecution.” A court cannot try a case unless it is prosecuted by a public prosecutor.
2.

Exception

There are two exceptions to the monopolization of prosecution: quasi-prosecution14 and compulsory
prosecution following a recommendation by the Committee for Inquest of Prosecution.
Quasi-prosecution applies to offences of “abuse of authority” by certain government officials.15 A
person who has filed a complaint or accusation for applicable offences, if dissatisfied with the publicprosecutor’s decision not to prosecute, may apply to a district court to commit the case to trial. In practice,very few cases are committed to trial. See page 25 for more details.
Committees for Inquest of Prosecution are lay advisory bodies, consisting of eleven randomly
chosen citizens, that review non-prosecution decisions by the prosecutors. A Committee’s recommendation
was formerly purely advisory, but since May 2009, it has been given stronger legal effect under limited
circumstances. See page 25 for more details.
B.

Forms of Prosecution
There are two forms of prosecution: formal and summary.16

1.

Formal Prosecution (Indictment)17

Formal prosecution is a request to hold a formal trial, and it is made by filing of a charging instrument
called a Kiso-Jo.18 The charging instrument must contain a clear description of the facts constituting theoffence charged. In order not to prejudice the court before trial, no evidentiary materials may be attached
to a Kiso-Jo.
(Speedy Trial Procedure)At the time of the filing of a Kiso-Jo, with the consent of the defendant, the prosecutor may ask the
court to try the case by the Speedy Trial Procedure. The Speedy Trial Procedure is applicable when thefollowing conditions are met:
(1) The offence is not punishable by death, life, or a minimum of one year’s imprisonment;(2) The case is clear and minor; and(3) The examination of evidence is expected to be completed promptly.

13

CCP Article 247.
In other words, “Analogical Institution of Prosecution through Judicial Action.” (CCP Articles 262 to 269).
See. e.g. Penal Code Article 193 (Abuse of authority by public officers).
16
The traffic infraction fine system (Pecuniary Penalty against Traffic Infractions) is a procedure under which a person who commits certain minor
offences in violation of the Road Traffic Law is exempted from criminal punishment by paying a sum of money fixed by law as an administrative
disposition. However, if violators fail to pay that fine, they are to be dealt with under a regular criminal procedure and are subject to criminal
punishment by the court.
17
The word "indict" or "indictment" used here means "an public action in criminal matters bringing a case to be tried in an open court", unlike the one
determined by the Grand Jury in the United States or cases to be tried in the Crown Court in the United Kingdom.
18
CCP Article 256.
14
15

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When the application is granted, the case will be tried by a simplified and expedited procedure. The
court is required to set an early trial date and, to the extent possible, render its judgement within one day.
When sentencing the defendant to a term of imprisonment, the court has to suspend the execution of thesentence. See page 35 for an explanation of suspension of execution of the sentence. The defendant may
not appeal a judgment entered following a Speedy Trial on the ground that fact-finding was erroneous.
The Speedy Trial Procedure was introduced in October 2006 in order to enable prompt dispositionof minor cases and early release of defendants. In 2012, a total of 1,544 defendants were sent for Speedy
Trials, and the majority of the cases were for violations of the Stimulant Control Act, Immigration Control
Act, and Road Traffic Act.

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An example of a Kiso-Jo (translated into English) is included below:

Kiso-Jo (Charging Instrument)

The following case is hereby prosecuted.

14 May 2013
Tokyo District Public Prosecutors OfficePublic Prosecutor, KOUNO, Ichirou (his seal)

To Tokyo District Court:
Defendant
Permanent Domicile: Yoshida 823, Kawami-cho, Tama-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture
Present Address: Room Number 303, 1-2-3, Akihabara, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Occupation: None
Under Detention
HIGASHIYAMA, Haruo (The defendant’s name)
17 April 1957 (The defendant’s birth date)Alleged Facts
At around 11 p.m. on 23 April 2013, on a street located in 2-4-7, Minami, Shibuyaku, Tokyo, the defendant, with intent to kill, stabbed MORITA Toshikazu (24 years of age)in the chest with a knife, of which blade was about ten centimeters long, thereby causing
the death of Morita, who died from blood loss attributable to the stab wound in the chest,at around 11:58 p.m. on the same day, at YAMADA Hospital located in 3-1-23, Takao,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo

Charged Offence and Applicable Penal Statutes
Penal Code Article 199

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2.

Summary Prosecution (Request for a Summary Order)

A public prosecutor may prosecute a case in the Summary Court and ask for a summary order, which
is an order by a Summary Court sentencing the defendant to a fine not exceeding one million yen, or a petty
fine. In order to file a summary prosecution, a written consent by the defendant is required. There will be
no oral hearing or trial: a Summary Court judge will examine the case file sent from the prosecutor, andissue an order on that basis. A party dissatisfied with the order may, within 14 days, apply for a formal trial.
Summary proceeding is an important part of the Japanese criminal process. A vast majority of minor
cases are disposed of by summary orders. In 2012, out of 1,421,514 suspects (including juveniles) disposedof by prosecutors, 347,702 (24.5%) were summarily prosecuted, whereas 116,412 (8.2%) were indicted forformal trials.1917
C.

Non-prosecution of Cases

1.

No Offence Committed

A public prosecutor will naturally decline to prosecute if, after investigation, there are sufficientreasons to believe that no crime has been committed by the suspect.
2.

Insufficiency of Evidence

Even if there is some evidence of guilt, public prosecutors will not prosecute unless conviction isvery likely. The threshold varies among countries, and Japanese prosecutors are very careful and selectivein screening cases. It is long established practice not to prosecute unless the prosecutor is almost 100
percent certain of a conviction. In Japan, it is considered an irresponsible exercise of the prosecutorial
powers, entrusted by the people to the public prosecutors, to compel a citizen to defend him or herself
against criminal charges without the prosecutor being convinced that the evidence is sufficient toestablish guilt. As a result, the actual conviction rate is 99.9 percent.
3.

Suspension of Prosecution

Japanese prosecutors have broad discretion whether or not to prosecute, and they are authorized todrop cases even when there is enough evidence to secure a conviction. This disposition is called “suspensionof prosecution” and is provided for in Article 248 of the CCP, which reads “Where prosecution is deemed
unnecessary owing to the character, age, environment, gravity of the offence, circumstances or situation
after the offence, prosecution need not be instituted.”
The concept of discretionary prosecution contrasts with that of compulsory prosecution, which
requires prosecution to be instituted whenever a certain quantum of evidence exists. Discretionary
prosecution enables flexible dispositions in line with the specifics of each case such as the nature andseriousness of the offence committed, characteristics of the offender, and the victim’s feelings about thecase. It is also a form of diversion that offers offenders an early opportunity to return to society andrehabilitate themselves.
The following is an illustrative list of factors considered by prosecutors in making charging decisions.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

19

The gravity of the offence and the harm caused thereby;
The offender’s character, age, criminal history, and risk of reoffending;
The circumstances relating to the commission of the offence: for example, motive, provocationby the victim, existence of accomplices and the role played by the suspect; andConditions subsequent to the commission of the offence: for example, whether the suspectassumes criminal responsibility, whether and to what extent restitution has been made,whether apologies have been made and the victim’s feelings have been restored, whether civil
settlements have been made between parties.

White Paper on Crime 2013, Ministry of Justice, Japan.

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Suspension of prosecution is broadly utilized in practice: of the 1,421,514 suspects processed bypublic prosecutors in 2012, prosecution was suspended for 789,392 (55.5%) suspects.20
D.

Safeguards against Arbitrary Disposition

1.

Internal Administrative Review

While public prosecutors exercise a quasi-judicial function, as officers belonging to the executive
branch of government, they are required to consult with and obtain approval from their supervisors when
making important decisions. This internal administrative review is called Kessai in Japanese. Dependingon the gravity and/or the difficulty of the issues involved, multiple layers of Kessai, sometimes up to
the Prosecutor General, may be required. This process ensures the reasonableness and consistency of theexercise of prosecutorial authority, and it provides an important learning opportunity for young prosecutors.
2.

Committee for Inquest of Prosecution

Committees for Inquest of Prosecution are lay advisory bodies that review non-prosecution decisions
by prosecutors. Every district has one or more Committees, and they consist of eleven lay people randomly
selected from among the district’s voters. Their purpose is to reflect popular will in the charging process.
Victims and certain qualified parties dissatisfied with a prosecutor’s decision not to prosecute may
request a review by the Committee. The Committee will make one of the following three recommendations:(i) non-prosecution is proper; (ii) non-prosecution is improper; or (iii) prosecution is proper. The lastrecommendation requires a super majority vote of eight out of eleven Committee members. Prosecutors
generally have good reasons when they decline to prosecute, and during the five-year period of 2008-12,
out of 9,368 cases decided on the merits, 8,688 (92.7%) have resulted in a recommendation of “nonprosecution is proper.”21
The recommendation will be notified to the prosecution, and when the latter two recommendations
are made, the prosecutors will reopen the case. Upon reinvestigation, they may reconsider their positionand prosecute, or maintain their initial decision and not prosecute.
The Committee’s recommendations were formerly purely advisory, but from May 2009, if theprosecutor’s decision not to prosecute a particular case twice receives a recommendation of “prosecution
is proper,” a court will appoint an attorney, who will undertake the role of the prosecutor and file charges
in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation. The system is called “compulsory prosecution.”
According to past statistics, a recommendation of “prosecution is proper” is not very common: during thefive year period of 2005-09, 53 (0.5%) out of 10,513 cases reviewed by the Committee resulted in thisrecommendation. As of January 2011, there have been four instances of compulsory prosecution.
3.

Quasi-Prosecution

Quasi-prosecution is a procedure applicable to offences of “abuse of authority” by certain
government officials. If a person who has filed a complaint or accusation of such offences is dissatisfied
with the public prosecutor’s decision not to prosecute, the person may apply to a District Court to commit
the case to trial. This system is intended as a safeguard against unreasonable non-prosecution decisions
by prosecutors. However, in practice, prosecutors do prosecute if the offence is serious enough and there
is sufficient evidence. Accordingly, the number of cases committed to trial has been few.

20
21

White Paper on Crime 2013, Ministry of Justice, Japan.
Ibid.

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E.

Victim Notification Programme

Victims of crime have legitimate interest in knowing the outcomes of their cases. In 1999, theprosecutor’s office introduced the Victim Notification Programme to keep victims informed of the progressand outcomes of their cases. Notification is not automatic. As some victims prefer not to be contacted,
notice is given to only those who have asked for it.
Information notified under the programme includes the following:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Disposition of the case (e.g. prosecution for formal trial, summary prosecution, non-prosecution
or referral to the Family Court);
Venue and time of the trial;
The results of the trial (conclusion section of the judgment, status on appeal);
The perpetrator’s custody details, the indicted facts, summary of the reasons for nonprosecution, and other matters similar to those listed in (1) to (3); andThe matters concerning the perpetrator after conviction is finalized:• Name and location of the prison where the perpetrator is imprisoned.
• The possible schedule for release from prison (the scheduled date of release on completionof the sentence, parole) after the prison sentence becomes final.
• Treatment of the perpetrator in prison (updates are given around once every six months).
• The date when the perpetrator was actually released (release on completion of the sentence,parole).
• The date when suspension of execution of the sentence was revoked.
• The date when a decision was made for granting parole.
• The date when probation was commenced and the scheduled end thereof.
• Treatment during probation (updates are given around once every six months).
• The date when probation ended.

Victim protection measures
A. Providing notification to victims
1.
In cases where a complaint has been made, the public prosecutor shall notify thecomplainant when a decision to institute prosecution or not to institute prosecution has been
made, as well as the reason for non-prosecution when a case is not prosecuted.
2.
In serious cases, such as where the victim has died, or where the public prosecutor hasinterviewed the victim, the public prosecutor notifies the victim or the family of the deceased
victim of the disposition of the case, the date of the trial, the result of the trial and so on, if sodesired by the victim.
3. The public prosecutor notifies the victim of the convicted offender’s scheduled release date
and the scheduled place of residence, if the victim wishes to have such notification, in case thevictim desires to relocate in order to avoid contact with the offender.
B. Appeals against non-prosecution decisions
Appeals against non-prosecution decisions by the public prosecutor include
1. Request for review by a Committee for Inquest of Prosecution
A victim may submit a petition for review by a Committee for the Inquest of Prosecution
consisting of 11 committee members selected at random from the general public based on theelectoral rolls.
2. Request to commit a case to a court for trial
Through the procedure of quasi-prosecution, a person who files a complaint or accusation
concerning an offence, such as abuse of authority by a public official, may be permitted, whenappealing against a non-prosecution decision, to apply to the relevant District Court to commit
the case to trial.

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C. Victim participation at the trial stage
1. Victim participation system
Victims of crimes (the victim's spouse, lineal relatives and siblings in cases where the victim
has died) may, among others, take part in criminal trials as victim participants. As victim
participants, they may question witnesses and defendants and state their opinions on the facts ofthe case and the application of law, subject to the decision of the court. Participation is only
permitted in cases of serious crimes such as homicide, grievous bodily harm or rape.
2. Statement of opinion
Victims may, among others, state their feelings about the harm they suffered and other
opinions on the alleged case.
3. Measures to lessen the burden during trial
To lessen the burden on the victims as witnesses during questioning of witnesses, they may be(a) accompanied by family members or counsellors, (b) shielded from the defendant andobservers, (c) seated in a separate room and questioned via video link.
4. Measures to protect confidentiality
There are procedures for protecting victim confidentiality in special matters, such asprotecting the victim’s name and other information.
5. Judicial compromise
There is a procedure for criminal settlement whereby the defendant and the victim may reachan agreement in a civil dispute related to a criminal case; the content of that agreement is noted in
the trial record of the criminal case.
6. Restitution Order
When a victim has filed a claim for payment of compensation with a criminal court, thecriminal court continues to review the civil dispute after reaching a judgement of conviction in
the criminal case, and makes a decision on compensation.
D. Compensation for crime victims
1. Crime victim benefits
The “Act on Support for Crime Victims, etc. Such as Payment of Crime Victims Benefits”
provides victims or families of deceased victims with crime victim benefits when compensation
for damages is not received from the perpetrator. Eligible beneficiaries include victims who
suffered serious injury or disability or surviving family of a person who died due to homicide oran intentional criminal act.
2. Benefit payment system for recovery of damages
The “Act on Recovery Payments to be Paid from Assets Generated from Crime” provides
victims etc. with benefits for recovery of damages, using crime proceeds confiscated or collected
as proceeds of equivalent value, including assets recovered with the assistance of foreigncountries.
3. Damage-recovery benefit system
The “Act on Damage Recovery Benefits Distributed from Fund in Bank Accounts Used for
Crimes” pays damage-recovery benefits to victims of crimes such as fraud involving bankaccount transfers. It provides a procedure to nullify the perpetrator’s deposits and distribute themas damage-recovery benefits to the victims.

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