Focusing on the Current Legal Training System

and Lay-judge (Saiban-in) System

YAMASHITA, Terutoshi DIRECTOR UNAFEI

5 June 2015

Japan’s Experiences in Justice System Reform

INTRODUCTION

MOJ Red Brick Building (German style)

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1) Construction of a Justice System Responding to Public Expectations

2) How the Legal Profession Supporting the Justice System Should Be (Expansion of the Human Base)

3) Establishment of the Popular Base

Three Pillars of The Reform

J： Judges U： University (Academics) P： Prosecutors N： Notary A： Private Attorneys

Rough Images of Legal Profession

JAPAN

U A Ｊ・Ｐ

NP

Common Law Countries

A・P・U → Ｊ

Indo-China Countries

Ｊ Ｐ A U

ＮＰ

3

Private Attorney Prosecutor

QUALIFICATIONS

National Bar Exam

Legal Trainee

Degree at Law School Current Reform

(S.C. submits nomination list to Cabinet)

(2 – 3 years)

(One year for practical training)

(Apply to the MOJ)

(Apply to Supreme Court)

(S.C. consults with the nomination committee of lower court judges)

Assistant Judge

Judge (10 years)

(appointed by the Cabinet)

(appointed by the Cabinet)

Applicants 9,200 Take Exam. 8,000

Success 1,800 Pass 1st Exam. 5,000

2014

(+160/350)

(1992 –2013) 105)

2014.7 (35,000)

(1,800+790)

(2,900) 4

Population of Legal Practitioners

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Judge Prosecutor Attorney

33,682

2,912

1,822

19,523

1,453

2,333

From the quarterly magazine “RULE OF LAW” No.174 (2014.July)

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23,309 38,416

Rate (1) 13.0 7.2 6.9 7.8 6.8 5.2

Rate(2) 7.3 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.4 4.5

5.0 4.1 3.3

4.5 3.7 2.9

※ Statistics by MEXT

２００４ ２００５ ２００６ ２００７ ２００８ ２００９ ２０１０ ２０１１ ２０１２ ２０１３

Applicants 72,800 41,756 40,341 45,207 39,555 29,714 24,014 22,927 18,446 13,924

Examinees 40,810 30,310 29,592 31,080 31,181 25,863 21,319 20,497 16,519 12,389

4.9

4.3

0.0

4.0

8.0

12.0

16.0

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

（number） 80,000

（Rate）

Law Schools Applicants, Examinees and Competitive Rates

(1) (2)

NOTES: A candidate can apply to and take more than one Entrance Examination. (1) “Applicants” means the number of submitting application (2) “Examinees” means the number of taking Entrance Examination

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2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

5,590 5,825 5,825 5,825 5,795 5,765 4,909 4,571 4,484 4,261

5,767 5,544 5,784 5,713 5,397 4,844 4,122 3,620 3,150 2,698

※ MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Quotas

Admitted

0

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

（Number of Students） 7,000

Law School Quotas and Successful Candidates

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8

‘89 ’90 ‘91 ‘92 ‘93 ’94 ‘95 ’96 ‘97 ’98 ’99 ‘00 ‘01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ‘05 ’06 ‘07 ’08 ‘09 ’10 ’11 ’12 ‘13 ‘14

Previous Exam.

Present Exam.

Pass rate of Old Exam.

Pass rate of New Exam.

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

（Number of

(persons）

(1) Applicants (2) Examinees Successful Candidates Pass Rate to (1) Pass Rate to (2)9

National Bar Examination (since 2006) Successful Candidates and Pass Rate

平成２１年５月２１日～平成２７年４月３０日まで

那覇

97

TOTAL 9,67950 44

94

鹿児島

121

宮崎

60

佐賀

62

長崎

54

102 109

高知 徳島

福岡

482

大分

77熊本

松山 高松

広島 岡山

211 158

21 24 神戸

山口

52

松江 鳥取

97

371 奈良

75

金沢

50

和歌山

78

京都

204

大阪

1134

名古屋

588

福井

45

津

大津

100

岐阜

137

富山

33

東京

1141

甲府

74

108

千葉

990

523

静岡

209 横浜

前橋

136

200さいたま

502

118

福島新潟

87

水戸長野

宇都宮

163

旭川

40

釧路

56

山形

秋田

35

盛岡

33

札幌

228

函館

37

88

青森

58

仙台

123

From Supreme Court Statistics

Acquittal Rates as of February 2015

7,464 persons

42 persons 0.56％

Contested Cases 42

3,222 1.3％

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Lay Judge System Cases Prosecuted

(May 2009～April 2014）

2,217, 24%

1,957, 21%

868, 9%

807, 9%

763, 8%

685, 7%

650, 7%

401, 4% 236, 3% 178, 2%

577, 6%

Lay Judge Trials by Crime

Statistics by Crime for Lay Judge Trials （as of February 2015）

Total (newly received) 9,274 Ratio Robbery causing injury 2,217 23.9% Homicide 1,957 22.1% Arson on Houses 868 9.4% Death caused by bodily injury 807 8.7%

Violation of Methamphetamine Act 763 8.2%

Rape causing injury 685 7.4% Forcible indecency causing death or injury 650 7.0%

Rape on the occasion of Robbery 401 4.3%

Robbery resulting in death 236 2.5% Uttering counterfeit currency 178 1.9% Others 577 6.2%

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A Candidates for Lay Judge 691,468

B Candidates dismissed/excused during the first selection process 197,508

C Candidates who received notification to attend 493.960

D Candidates excused based on written questionnaire 209,715

E Candidates expected to attend 285,425

F Candidates appeared 216,631

G Lay Judges (Alternates included) 56,681

H Average length of trial (including non-trial days) 6.9 days

I Average times of trial (excluding non-trial days) 4.3 times

J Average length of deliberation 594.1 minutes

K Number of defendants（Judgment rendered） 7,464

L Number of defendants in contested cases 3,222

M Capital sentences 23

N Acquittals 42

Percentage of Attendance F / A×100＝31.3 ％ F / E×100＝75.9 ％

Statistics of Lay Judge

System

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Acquittal Rate

N / K×100＝0.56 ％

N / L×100＝1.3％

Recent Discussions on Reform A Provisions for DVD recording of suspects’ interviews during the investigation stage B Agreements between prosecutors and suspects/defendants and immunity from criminal liability

C Expansion of wire-tapping as an investigative method

D Points considered in the decision of release on bail

E Expanding legal advice by private attorneys

F Promoting and enhancing the discovery of evidence

G Measures to protect victims and witnesses

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

Mt. Fuji