Japan urged to sign international child abduction treaty February 1, 2010
[JURIST] Ambassadors from eight countries met with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada [official profile] on Saturday to urge Japan to sign an international treaty that will help prevent parental child abductions across borders. Representatives from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, New....... [more] 
Japan urged to discontinue executing mentally ill prisoners September 10, 2009
[JURIST] Japan [JURIST news archive] continues to execute mentally ill prisoners [press release] despite a criminal code provision outlawing the practice, according to a report [text, PDF] released Thursday by Amnesty International (AI) [advocacy website]. According to the report, while the exact nu....... [more] 
Japan court reaches guilty verdict in first lay judge trial August 7, 2009
[JURIST] Japan's first jury trial since World War II ended Thursday, with the Tokyo District Court [official website, in Japanese] convicting Katsuyoshi Fujii of murder. A mixed panel of six lay and three professional judges sentenced [Kyodo News report] the 72-year-old Fujii to 15 years in prison f....... [more] 
Japan begins first trial under lay judge system August 3, 2009
[JURIST] Japan began its first trial under the new lay judge system at the Tokyo District Court [official website, in Japanese] on Monday. Katsuyoshi Fujii is on trial for the murder of his neighbor, a South Korean woman. The proceedings began with the selection of six lay judges [Mainichi Daily New....... [more] 
Japan parliament approves anti-piracy law June 23, 2009
[JURIST] The Japanese Diet has passed an anti-piracy law, authorizing the government to dispatch forces to combat pirate attacks [JURIST news archive] against commercial vessels. The law, passed by the House of Representatives [official website, in Japanese] Friday, allows the country's military to....... [more] 
Japan court grants recognition to atomic bomb victims May 28, 2009
[JURIST] The Tokyo High Court [official website, in Japanese] granted an appeal Thursday to consider 30 people for official recognition as atomic bomb victims, ruling that 9 of the plaintiffs who were previously denied should receive the status. Officials said that the government will consider revis....... [more] 
Russia, Japan to renew talks on WWII peace treaty at G8 summit May 12, 2009
[JURIST] Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin [official website; JURIST news archive] said Tuesday that President Dmitry Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso [official websites] will discuss a possible peace treaty between the two nations at a G8 summit in Italy in July. Putin spoke at a n....... [more] 
Japan protesters divided on calls for constitutional reform May 4, 2009
[JURIST] Japanese activists demonstrated [Japan Times report] Sunday on Japan's 62nd Constitution Day to voice opposing views about an approaching referendum on the country's pacifist constitution [text; JURIST news archive]. Efforts to reform the constitution are particularly focused on Article 9 [....... [more] 
Japan donating $4 million to underfunded Cambodia genocide tribunal May 1, 2009
[JURIST] The Japanese government on Thursday pledged to donate USD $4.17 million [press release, PDF] to assist the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) [official website], the tribunal set up to try former members of the Khmer Rouge [BBC backgrounder]. The funding comes at an opp....... [more] 
Japan lawmakers form group to postpone implementation of lay judge system April 2, 2009
[JURIST] Twenty members of the Japanese parliament, the National Diet, formed a nonpartisan group [Japan Times report] Wednesday in order to delay the implementation of a lay judge system in the country. The group has concerns over rules governing disclosure and trial duration, along with the belief....... [more] 



Check Blogdigger for more JURIST news on Japan...
|