December 15, 2003
legal revision - to a severe legal technicality
Ministry of Justice released a policy of the legal revision on murder, burglary and rape cases, i.e. to be severe legal technicality to impose strict controls upon violent crime.
According to Yomiuri online news, MoJ submits to the revised policy to its advisory body next year.
Under the current criminal law in Japan, legal technicality for violent crimes are:
* murder ... death penalty, life term or more than 3years sentence
* burglary ... penal servitude for a definite term(more than 5 years sentence)
* rape ... penal servitude for a definite term(more than 2 years sentence)
MoJ studies to extent the definite terms. The criminal laws for murder and burglary had implemented in 1908 and never reviewed so far:-p.
As to the legal technicality for rape is shorter than burglary. This comes under fire for playing down women's sexual liberty than stuffs. So, as a whole balance of criminal law system will be amended...and so on.
Recently, Japanese finally start to respect the human rights of crime victims. Crime law in Japan basically is set from the view points of rehabilitating a criminal. However, due to the recent increase of deadly crimes, MoJ finally takes action to raise deterrent effects for such crimes now.
Since Oct 1, 2003