Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 April 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

Bill to increase number of judges approved

The House of Councilors Judicial Affairs Committee on April 15 unanimously approved a bill to increase the number of judges.

During the questioning time before the approval, Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Inoue Satoshi stressed the importance of greatly increasing the number of judges.

Inoue pointed out that despite the government’s plan to add 500 judges by 2011, each judge’s workload has become heavier.

Secretary General of the Supreme Court Tokura Saburo said that in case of the Tokyo District Court, between 2001 and 2010, the number of cases per judge increased by 100 to 280 while the percentage of judges conducting examinations of witnesses fell to 6.1% from 14.5% and examination of evidence by experts to 0.4% from 1.2%.

Inoue said, “Judges are required to close more and more cases swiftly and this causes less effort provided to consider cases carefully.”

Tokura said, “It is unallowable if the required examination of evidence is neglected due to a judicial shortage.”

Pointing out that 46 branches out of 203 district court branches have no judge, Inoue stressed, “It is unacceptable if people are limited in their right to access to the court depending on where they live.”