The Work of the Criminal Affairs Bureau
Work related to Planning and Drafting of Criminal Legislation
This includes planning and drafting of criminal legislation including the Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure. The bureau also provides opinions with other ministries and agencies on their law drafting of their matters that stipulate criminal punishments, from the view point of criminal justice administration and the exercise of prosecutorial power.
Major legislation over the past few years includes:
In 2013, partial amendment of the Act on Measures Incidental to Criminal Proceedings for Protecting the Rights and Interests of Crime Victims to lessen the financial burden of crime victims participating in criminal trials; creation of new rules for suspending certain parts of sentences; and provisions for punishing drivers who harmed or killed others according to the level of maliciousness or the dangerousness of their driving.
In 2014, partial amendment of the Juvenile Law expanding the scope of cases that may involve court-appointed counsel and public prosecutors; and partial amendment of the Act on Punishment of Financing to Offences of Public Intimidation to effectively cut off terrorists from their funds .
In 2015, partial amendment of the Saiban-in Law to exempt saiban-in from cases likely to last an extremely long period of time .
In 2016, partial amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure to introduce voice/video recording of questioning suspects, cooperation agreements, and criminal immunity in testimony.
In 2017, partial amendment of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds to introduce the “crime of preparation of acts of terrorism and other organized crime”; and partial amendment of the Penal Code to amend punishments for sex crimes, including introduction of the Sexual Intercourse by Person Having Custody of Person under 18, and to change the legal status of sex crimes so that such offenses need not be indictable only on complaints.
Major legislation over the past few years includes:
In 2013, partial amendment of the Act on Measures Incidental to Criminal Proceedings for Protecting the Rights and Interests of Crime Victims to lessen the financial burden of crime victims participating in criminal trials; creation of new rules for suspending certain parts of sentences; and provisions for punishing drivers who harmed or killed others according to the level of maliciousness or the dangerousness of their driving.
In 2014, partial amendment of the Juvenile Law expanding the scope of cases that may involve court-appointed counsel and public prosecutors; and partial amendment of the Act on Punishment of Financing to Offences of Public Intimidation to effectively cut off terrorists from their funds .
In 2015, partial amendment of the Saiban-in Law to exempt saiban-in from cases likely to last an extremely long period of time .
In 2016, partial amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure to introduce voice/video recording of questioning suspects, cooperation agreements, and criminal immunity in testimony.
In 2017, partial amendment of the Act on Punishment of Organized Crimes and Control of Crime Proceeds to introduce the “crime of preparation of acts of terrorism and other organized crime”; and partial amendment of the Penal Code to amend punishments for sex crimes, including introduction of the Sexual Intercourse by Person Having Custody of Person under 18, and to change the legal status of sex crimes so that such offenses need not be indictable only on complaints.
Affairs regarding Prosecution
The bureau assists the direction and oversight that the Minister of Justice generally performs regarding prosecutorial work, maintains the organization of the Public Prosecutors’ Office, and establishes various work regulations. In addition, the Minister of Justice can only direct the Prosecutor-General regarding the handling of individual cases.
Affairs regarding Extradition of Criminals and International Mutual Legal Assistance
The bureau handles work related to the extradition of criminals, including extraditing fugitives to foreign countries or seeking their extradition from abroad to Japan. The bureau also engages in international mutual legal assistance, which involves providing evidence necessary for criminal investigations to foreign countries or requesting and receiving evidence from foreign countries.