Prime Minister Takahashi attended a House of Representatives plenary session on May 26 to begin deliberations on a proposed amendment to the Criminal Procedure Code [1].
The proposed changes target the retrial system, seeking to limit the ability of prosecutors to appeal decisions that grant new trials. This move addresses long-standing criticism from wrongful-conviction advocates who argue that the current system allows the state to obstruct justice for those wrongly imprisoned.
The government is negotiating with the Liberal Democratic Party to move the amendment forward [3]. However, the path to enactment remains contested. Some reports suggest the amendment favored by victims faces a difficult trajectory and is unlikely to be enacted during the current Diet session [4].
This legislative push follows a period of public tension regarding judicial reform. Earlier this month, approximately 40 people participated in an emergency action organized by the Japanese Communist Party outside the Diet on May 11-12 [5].
While the session focused on judicial reform, other government priorities remain in the spotlight. Public support for the government's policy to continue gasoline subsidies currently stands at about 60% [2].
The plenary session, broadcast live from the National Diet in Tokyo, marks the formal start of the debate on how Japan will balance prosecutorial authority with the rights of the accused to seek a retrial [1].
“The government seeks to revise the retrial law to limit the prosecution’s ability to appeal retrial decisions.”
The proposed amendment represents a significant shift in Japan's legal framework, potentially reducing the power of the state to block retrials. If passed, it could accelerate the process for exonerating the wrongly convicted, though the divide between government negotiators and critics suggests a protracted political struggle over the final language of the law.
