JFBA Statements
 and News Release

JFBA Public Statements and Opinion Papers
News Release
Events
  January/1/2007
JFBA Adopts Opinions on Crime Victims
 

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) adopted two opinion papers on crime victims, one in November, 2006, and another in December.

One of them entitled the Opinion Paper on Enhancement of Economic Support for Crime Victims was adopted at the meeting of the JFBA Board of Governors on November 22, to contribute to the deliberations of a study group on economic support established by the Office for Policies on Crime Victims in the Cabinet Office to implement the measures for crime victims as set by the Basic Plan for Crime Victims adopted in December, 2003 by the Cabinet. In this opinion paper, the JFBA proposes establishing a law on compensation for crime victims and introducing the court-appointed attorney system.

The other paper, “Opinion Paper on Issues Consulted the Criminal Law Committee of the Legislative Council by the Minister of Justice”, was adopted at the meeting of the JFBA Board of Governors on December 15, 2006.

The Minister of Justice consulted the Criminal Law Committee in the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice on September 6, 2006, about the following four issues:

  1. A system to apply results of criminal proceeding to claims for damage of crime victims,
  2. Broadening a scope of trial records to be inspected or copied,
  3. Protection of information on crime victims, and
  4. A system in which crime victims directly involve in criminal trials.

Regarding these four issues, the JFBA expressed its opinion in this opinion paper. The JFBA points out problems on the system mentioned in the above issue 1 and requests careful consideration for it. Concerning the issues 2 and 3, the JFBA supports the basic ideas, however, the JFBA opposes the system mentioned in the issue 4 in which crime victims can participate in the criminal trials and conduct a certain litigation activity as an interested party.

From the fact that the JFBA continuously issued opinion papers on crime victims though they deal with different targets, the issues on crime victims are certainly becoming more important in the JFBA’s activities.