JFBA Statements
 and News Release

JFBA Public Statements and Opinion Papers
News Release
Events
  December/1/2003
JFBA Extraordinary General Meeting Adopts 7 Proposals
-The Final Stage of Attorney System Reform-
 
The extraordinary general meeting of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) was held on November 12, 2003, in order to seek an approval from its members concerning the proposals including amendments to the JFBA's Articles of Association, and establishment, revision and abolition of the related rules (regulations) to reflect the amendments made to the Practicing Attorney Law to be enforced on April 1, 2004. All seven proposals were approved.

At the outset of the meeting, the JFBA President Tohru Motobayashi remarked, "The JFBA has been working on the judicial reform through in-depth discussions with the Consultation Groups of Experts within the government, lobbying and grass-roots campaigns, and these efforts are producing solid results. Furthermore, the JFBA has been taking the initiative to reform the attorney system that is also on today's agenda and our efforts have gone a long way towards the reform of the judicial system including the judge system."
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Proposal 1: Amendments to the JFBA's Articles of Association
 
 Proposal 1 alters the JFBA's Articles of Association in order to reflect the amendments made to the Practicing Attorney Law in July 2003. (The proposal requires a two-thirds majority of the members present to be approved.) The main amendments proposed are: (a) to conform to the amendments made to Article 30 of the Practicing Attorney Law; (b) concerned with disclosure of information about JFBA general meetings; (c) related to reform of disciplinary proceedings and establishment of the Discipline Maintenance Committee and the Complainants' Grievance Panel; (d) the deletion of the Regulations Concerning the Standards for Attorney's Fees, etc. from the JFBA rules.

After nearly three-hours of deliberation, the proposal was approved as below:

Proposal 1: Voting Breakdown
 
 Total
 Principals
 Proxies
 Bar assoc.
Pros
 7,687
 458
 7,179
 50
Cons
 730
 63
 667
 0
Abstentions
 15
 2
 12
 1

Proposals 2 to 7 are to adjust the regulations in order to ensure that they conform to the amendments contained in Proposal 1. (These proposals require a majority of the members present to be approved.) These proposals were also approved.
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Proposal 2: Establishment of a rule based on the amendments made to Article 30 of the Practicing Attorney Law
 
 Proposal 2 establishes regulations in order to conform to the amendments made to Article 30 of the Practicing Attorney Law, wherein an attorney shall submit a notification to he/her bar association for assuming a public post or engaging business activities, though it was required, under the former provisions, to obtain permission from the bar association.
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Proposal 3: Abolition of a rule based on the amendments made to Articles 33 and 46 of the Practicing Attorney Law
 
 Proposal 3 abolishes the existing 'Regulations Concerning the Standards for Attorney's Fees, etc'.
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Proposal 4: Establishment of rules based on reform of the disciplinary and disciplinary maintenance systems
 
 Proposal 4 establishes regulations on the Discipline Maintenance Committee, the Complainants' Grievance Panel, the Disciplinary Actions Committee, and public notices and announcements of disciplinary actions.
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Proposal 5: Amendments to a rule on the conduct of general meetings
 
 Proposal 5 amends the regulations for conducting general meetings, concerning to disclosure of minutes and public attendance, etc., in order to improve transparency of the meetings.
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Proposal 6: Amendments to a rule on Special Foreign Members
 
 Proposal 6 makes each amendment proposed above applicable to Special Foreign Members.
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Proposal 7: Selection of members and reserves of the Discipline Maintenance Committee and the Complainants' Grievance Panel
 
 Proposal 7 authorizes the JFBA's Board of Governors to select members and reserves of the Discipline Maintenance Committee and the Complaints' Grievance Panel to be newly established.