Film examines Japan's criminal justice system

By Keiji Hirano

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9 Comments

pathat at 10:40 AM JST - 5th May

Good timing on this, especially with the, "Death row inmate becomes cause celebre," thread going on JT. The criminal justice system, and the criminal aspects of how those involved in dispensing justice go about their business, needs to be put under much closer scrutiny.

And to think the "lay-judge system" will go into effect one year from now.
NeoJamal at 01:31 PM JST - 5th May

This is an open invitation for western countries to ask the Japanese government to create extra-territorial terror offences against inchoate terrorist acts committed in their respective countries, this draconian due process is criminal due process nonetheless that is established in a G8 country that purports to be a democracy that follows the rule of law. Japan's criminal justice system and its international obscurity is something probably envied by US and British authorities in the fight against terror.
GrouchyGaijin at 06:54 PM JST - 5th May

Excellent topic: Japan's Justice System IS Criminal!
borscht at 02:28 AM JST - 6th May

NeoJamal, I almost understood what you wrote, but not quite.

On topic, will the right wingers in and out of office jump on this like they did "Yasukuni"? Will Hatoyama see it? If he sees it will he repeat that there are "enough checks and balances"?
WhiteHawk at 03:07 AM JST - 6th May

I hope I get to see this film. I've often wondered how and why so many people in Japan confess to their crimes. Contrast that to the U.S.
tako10 at 03:09 PM JST - 6th May

After the lay judge system go into effect next year, they will probably modify the criminal justice system. Then perhaps, we will see a news headline that says “Police didn’t stop Yaks firing guns right outside the crowded Toei-Oedo line entrance at 11:30 pm because the officers did not have articulable reason to stop them.”
Hughgarse at 12:26 PM JST - 7th May

good stuff! give the whole system a long deserved kick in the teeth.
fingerless at 10:02 PM JST - 19th May

Apparently this going to be a double bill with the Yasukuni Shrine movie, soon to be in theaters all across Japan.
Betting at 09:59 AM JST - 22nd May

I think this new system is going to be great for Japan in the long run, in the short term it will make for a lot of headaches for different people though. By putting the lay judge system in place, changes to the court system it will hopefully change the balance of the system making it hopefully better for everyone (not that there is a country in the world with a completely fair system, or so I believe).