May/27/2005 56th JFBA General Meeting JFBA Adopts Declaration on Judicial Reform "Implementation"

On May 27, 2005, the General Meeting of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) was held in Tokyo, with having 6,333 attendees (548 principals, 5,733 proxies, and 52 bar associations). 7 draft resolutions were deliberated, including the fiscal 2004 settlement, the fiscal 2005 budget, the Declaration on Judicial Reform "Implementation" and a resolution to request fundamental reform of the detention system for unconvicted inmates and abolishment of substitute prisons (Daiyo-Kangoku). All of them were adopted by the vast majority of the attendees. - Settlement/Budget   Before reporting the settlement and deliberating the budget, the General Meeting adopted a resolution to amend the Rules on Financial Assistance for the Small-Sized Bar Associations in order to relax the requirement to be "small-seized" bar association eligible for financial assistance to have at a maximum of 70 members eased from 60 members. The fiscal 2004 settlement was that the revenue was 4,058 million yen, the expenditure was 3,594 million yen, and the balance carried over was 463 million yen. As for the fiscal 2005 budget, the expected revenue is 4,221 million yen and the proposed expenditure is 4,149 million yen. As it has been 10 years since the Bar Associations Building was built, 300 million yen is reserved from Special Account for Bar Associations Building for a fund for major maintenance of the building. - Declaration on Judicial Reform "Implementation"   24 laws related to the judicial reform were enacted by the end of last year and designing and legislating the new judicial system have been almost completed. Being aware that the judicial reform has now moved to the next stage, that is, implementation of the new judicial system, the JFBA has set concrete measures to be taken by attorneys and bar associations for; 1. Saiban-in (lay judge) system, 2. Justice Support Center of Japan, 3. Law Schools, 4. Reform of the Judge System, and 5. Promotion of appointment of attorneys as judges, and declares its determination to make every possible effort to take these measures. - Resolution to request fundamental reform of the detention system for the unconvicted and abolishment of substitute prisons (Daiyo-Kangoku)   A law on prisons and the treatment of convicted inmates was enacted in this ordinary Diet session. As legislation on the treatment of unconvicted inmates will follow, the JFBA strongly urges to fundamentally reform the detention system for unconvicted inmates and to abolish Daiyo-Kangoku in accordance with the international human rights norms and standards. - Special Report "Preparation for New Criminal Justice"   JFBA officers reported on a resolution, "Preparation for New Criminal Justice", adopted by the Board of Governors on May 7, 2005, and appealed to JFBA members to reserve a sufficient number of attorneys and improve advocacy skills in order to prepare for the Saiban-In system and the enlarged public defense system for suspects.