08-20-2006, 12:07 AM
In sweeping legal reform, increasingly litigious Japan expecting flood of new lawyers
Japan has roughly 22,000 lawyers -- one for every 5,790 people, compared with one for every 268 in the U.S.
In the most sweeping reform of Japan's legal system since World War II, the doors are opening wide for a flood of new lawyers, prosecutors and judges to handle criminal and civil cases in an increasingly litigious society.
Experts say the reforms are long overdue and underscore a big shift in social attitudes that is forcing Japan to change its longstanding policy of keeping the number of lawyers low and the public out of the courts.
The government has decided to more than double the number of legal professionals, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges, to 50,000 by 2018. Juries for serious criminal cases will be introduced in 2009 to ease the load on judges. The first U.S.-style law school opened in 2004 and, with government encouragement, Japan now has 72 of them.
Less certain is whether the reforms will fix Japan's often-criticized penal justice system.
Cases often drag on for years and conviction rates are higher than 99 percent due to a system weighted heavily in favor of prosecutors, who have superior resources and status. The shortage of lawyers -- especially to defend criminals -- has long been a target of criticism. Defense lawyers are widely perceived as protectors of the public's enemies and are often poorly paid.
The introduction of juries, giving ordinary Japanese citizens their first chance to participate in criminal court procedures, may change that balance when it takes effect.
Complete article: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060820p2a00m0na002000c.html
Japan has roughly 22,000 lawyers -- one for every 5,790 people, compared with one for every 268 in the U.S.
In the most sweeping reform of Japan's legal system since World War II, the doors are opening wide for a flood of new lawyers, prosecutors and judges to handle criminal and civil cases in an increasingly litigious society.
Experts say the reforms are long overdue and underscore a big shift in social attitudes that is forcing Japan to change its longstanding policy of keeping the number of lawyers low and the public out of the courts.
The government has decided to more than double the number of legal professionals, including lawyers, prosecutors and judges, to 50,000 by 2018. Juries for serious criminal cases will be introduced in 2009 to ease the load on judges. The first U.S.-style law school opened in 2004 and, with government encouragement, Japan now has 72 of them.
Less certain is whether the reforms will fix Japan's often-criticized penal justice system.
Cases often drag on for years and conviction rates are higher than 99 percent due to a system weighted heavily in favor of prosecutors, who have superior resources and status. The shortage of lawyers -- especially to defend criminals -- has long been a target of criticism. Defense lawyers are widely perceived as protectors of the public's enemies and are often poorly paid.
The introduction of juries, giving ordinary Japanese citizens their first chance to participate in criminal court procedures, may change that balance when it takes effect.
Complete article: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20060820p2a00m0na002000c.html