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CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN JAPAN 2011

CHAPTER 1
STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ADMINISTRATION (PDF:967KB)

I. POLICE

  • A. Overview
  • B. National Police Organization
    • 1. The National Public Safety Commission
    • 2. The National Police Agency
  • C. Local Police Organization
    • 1. The Prefectural Public Safety Commission
    • 2. Prefectural Police Headquarters

II. PROSECUTION

  • A. Qualification
  • B. Organization
  • C. Functions and Jurisdiction
  • D. Status (Independence and Impartiality)

III. COURTS

  • A. Structure
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. The Supreme Court
    • 3. The High Court
    • 4. The District Court
    • 5. The Family Court
    • 6. The Summary Court
  • B. Judges
    • 1. Appointment of Judges
    • 2. Categories and Qualifications of Judges

IV. CORRECTIONS

  • A. Organization of the Correctional Administration
    • 1. Penal Institutions
    • 2. Juvenile Correctional Institutions
  • B. Correctional Officials

V. REHABILITATION

  • A. Organization and Function
  • B. Personnel
    • 1. Probation Officers
    • 2. Rehabilitation Co-ordinators
  • C. Volunteers and the Voluntary Sector
    • 1. Volunteer Probation Officers
    • 2. Juridical Persons for Offenders Rehabilitation Services
    • 3. Others

CHAPTER 2
THE CRIME SITUATION IN JAPAN (PDF:534KB)

I. PENAL CODE OFFENCES

  • A. Trends in Penal Code Offences
  • B. Trends in Some Major Crimes

II. SPECIAL LAW OFFENCES

CHAPTER 3
CRIMINAL JUSTICE FLOW CHART (PDF:542KB)

CHAPTER 4
PRE-TRIAL CRIMINAL PROCEDURE (PDF:585KB)

I. INTRODUCTION

II. CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDS

III. INVESTIGATIVE AGENCIES

IV. INVESTIGATION PROCESS

  • A. Overview
  • B. Arrest
  • C. Post-Arrest Procedure
  • D. Collection of Evidence
    • 1. Taking Statements
    • 2. Interrogation of Suspects
    • 3. Searches and Seizures
  • E. The Right to Counsel
  • F. Bail

V. DISPOSITION OF CASES

  • A. Monopolization of Prosecution
    • 1. Principle
    • 2. Exception
  • B. Forms of Prosecution
    • 1. Formal Prosecution (Indictment)
    • 2. Summary Prosecution (Request for a Summary Order)
  • C. Non-prosecution of Cases
    • 1. No Offence Committed
    • 2. Insufficiency of Evidence
    • 3. Suspension of Prosecution
  • D. Safeguards against Arbitrary Disposition
    • 1. Internal Administrative Review
    • 2. Committee for Inquest of Prosecution
    • 3. Quasi-Prosecution
  • E. Victim Notification Programme

CHAPTER 5
TRIAL PROCESS (PDF:617KB)

I. SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES AND CHARACTERISTICS

  • A. Presumption of Innocence
  • B. Public Trials
  • C. Right to Remain Silent
  • D. Right to Counsel
  • E. Adversarial Procedure
  • F. No Arraignment
  • G. Single Stage Procedure

II. Saiban-In Trials

III. TRIAL PROCEEDINGS

  • A. Procedure before Trial
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. Disclosure
    • 3. Pretrial Conference Procedure
  • B. Trial
    • 1. Opening Proceeding
    • 2. Examination of Evidence
    • 3. Questioning of Defendants
    • 4. Closing Arguments
  • C. Rules of Evidence
    • 1. Hearsay Rule
    • 2. Hearsay Exceptions
    • 3. Confessions
    • 4. Exclusionary Rule
  • D. Adjudication and Sentencing
  • E. Length of Trial

IV. APPEALS

  • A. Koso Appeals
  • B. Jokoku Appeals

V. EXTRAORDINARY REMEDIES

VI. PUNISHMENT

  • A. Categories
    • 1. Overview
    • 2. Death Penalty
    • 3. Imprisonment
    • 4. Fine, Misdemeanour Imprisonment without Work, Petty Fine
  • B. Suspension of Execution of Sentence
  • C. Outcomes of Court Proceedings
    • 1. Formal Trials
    • 2. Summary Proceedings
  • D. Parole

VII. COMPENSATION FOR INNOCENCE

VIII. SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR JUVENILE CASES

CHAPTER 6
CORRECTIONAL SERVICE (PDF:684KB)

I. INTRODUCTION

II. EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF INMATES IN PENAL INSTITUTIONS

  • A. Trends in the Inmate Population in Penal Institutions
  • B. Philosophy of the Treatment of Inmates
  • C. Correctional Treatment of Sentenced Inmates
    • 1. Assessment for Treatment
    • 2. Prison Work
    • 3. Guidance for Reform
    • 4. Guidance in School Courses
  • D. Complaints Mechanism
    • 1. Claim for Review and Reclaim for Review
    • 2. Report of Cases
    • 3. Filing of Complaints
  • E. Penal Institution Visiting Committee

III. EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF JUVENILES IN JUVENILE TRAINING SCHOOLS

  • A. Overview
    • 1. Structure of Juvenile Training Schools
    • 2. Outline of the Treatment Process
  • B. Correctional Education
    • 1. Living Guidance
    • 2. Vocational Guidance
    • 3. Academic Education
    • 4. Health and Physical Education
    • 5. Special Activities
  • C. Medical Care

CHAPTER 7
REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS (PDF:625KB)

I. PROBATION AND PAROLE

  • A. Overview
    • 1. Juvenile Probationers
    • 2. Juvenile Parolees
    • 3. Adult Parolees
    • 4. Adult Probationers
  • B. Parole Procedure
    • 1. Parole Examination
    • 2. Parole Decision
    • 3. Pre-parole Inquiry by Probation Officers
  • C. Probation and Parole Conditions
    • 1. General Conditions
    • 2. Special Conditions
    • 3. Life and Conduct Guidelines
  • D. Implementation of Probation and Parole
    • 1. General Framework
    • 2. Intake Interviews and Treatment Plans
    • 3. Role of Probation Officers and Volunteer Probation Officers
    • 4. Day Offices
    • 5. Progressive Treatment
    • 6. Categorized Treatment
    • 7. Treatment Programmes as Special Probation Conditions
    • 8. Short -Term Programmes for Juvenile Probationers
    • 9. Comprehensive Job Assistance Scheme
    • 10. National Centre for Offenders Rehabilitation Project
  • E. Termination of Probation and Parole
    • 1. Measures for Good Conduct
    • 2. Measures against Bad Conduct
  • F. Outcome of Probation and Parole

II. AFTERCARE OF DISCHARGED OFFENDERS

III. PARDONS

IV. MEASURES FOR CRIME VICTIMS

V. MEDICAL HEALTH SUPERVISION

VI. CRIME PREVENTION ACTIVITIES

APPENDICES (PDF:476KB)

  • Appendix 1
    Number of known cases, crime rate, number of cleared cases, clearance rate, and number of offenders cleared of Penal Code offences (1946-2009)
  • Appendix 2
    Number of known cases, number of cleared cases, and number of offenders cleared of Penal Code offences, by type of major offence (1998-2009)
  • Appendix 3
    Average daily number of inmates of penal institutions (1950-2009)
  • Appendix 4
    Frequency of imprisonment of newly admitted inmates, by type of offence (2009)
  • Appendix 5
    Number of parole applications, grants, and rejections (1949-2009)
  • Appendix 6
    Number of newly received probationers and parolees (1949-2009)
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