Accusation, defence and morality in Japanese trials: A Hybrid Orientation to Criminal Justice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikuko Nakane ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Legal Process ◽  
Historical Perspectives ◽  
Communicative Practice ◽  
Discourse Strategies ◽  
Justice Process

The Japanese criminal justice system has gone through transformations in its modern history, adopting the models of European Continental Law systems in the 19th century as part of Japan’s modernisation process, and then the Anglo-American Common Law orientation after WWII. More recently, citizen judges have been introduced to the criminal justice process, a further move towards an adversarial orientation with increased focus on orality and courtroom discourse strategies. Yet, the actual legal process does not necessarily represent the adversarial orientation found in Common Law jurisdictions. While previous research from cultural and socio-historical perspectives has offered valuable insights into the Japanese criminal court procedures, there is hardly any research examining how adversarial (or non-adversarial) orientation is realised through language in Japanese trials. Drawing on an ethnographic study of communication in Japanese trials, this paper discusses a ‘hybrid’ orientation to the legal process realised through courtroom discourse. Based on courtroom observation notes, interaction data, lawyer interviews and other relevant materials collected in Japan, trial participants’ discourse strategies contributing to both adversarial and inquisitorial orientations are identified. In particular, the paper highlights how accusation, defence and morality are performed and interwoven in the trial as a genre. The overall genre structure scaffolds competing narratives, with prosecution and defence counsel utilising a range of discourse strategies for highlighting culpability and mitigating factors. However, the communicative practice at the micro genre level shows an orientation to finding the ‘truth,’ rehabilitation of offenders and maintaining social order. The analysis of courtroom communication, contextualised in the socio-historical development of the Japanese justice system and in the ideologies about courtroom communicative practice, suggests a gap between the practice and official/public discourses of the justice process in Japan. At the same time, the findings raise some questions regarding the powerful role that language plays in different ways in varying approaches to delivery of justice.

International and Comparative Legal Perspectives on Victim Participation in Criminal Justice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Manikis
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Legal Process ◽  
Legal Traditions ◽  
Criminal Justice Systems ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process ◽  
The Common ◽  
Victim Participation ◽  
Historical Developments

Victim participation in common law has evolved across history and jurisdictions. Historical developments within conceptions of crime, harms, and victims in common law as well as the different victims’ movements provide an understanding of the ways that victim participation has been shaped in more-recent common law criminal justice systems. Victim participation in the criminal legal process has also given rise to various debates, which suggests that providing active forms of engagement to victims remains controversial. The forms of victim participation are also diverse, and the literature has provided typologies of victim participation. Forms of participation also vary across jurisdictions and the different stages of the criminal justice process, including prosecutorial decisions, pretrial and trial proceedings, sentencing, parole, and clemency. Finally, research that focuses on victim participation in legal traditions beyond the common law would provide an additional and important contribution to the field.

scholarly journals The Implementation of Diversion by the Investigator of Bandung Police Department Towards Narcotics Cases Conducted by Children

FIAT JUSTISIA ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Herdiansyah Akhmadi ◽  
Ijud Tajudin
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Police Department ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Court System ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process

Narcotics crime is not only done by someone who has entered adulthood. In fact, the involvement of children in the vicious circle of narcotic crime has often been encountered. In response, the Government issued Law No. 11 Year 2012 on the Criminal Justice System for Children to accommodate children with legal problems. In the Criminal Justice System Law for Children found a concept that is not encountered in another law that is diversion. Diversion is the transfer of the settlement of child cases from criminal justice process to process outside of criminal justice process. The requirement for a child to be made a diversion effort is a criminal threat against the child is not more than 7 (seven) years and not the repetition of criminal offense. Drug Division of Bandung City Police Department in the period of investigation 2015 - 2017 has handled 7 (seven) narcotics cases done by the child. The success rate of diversion in the BCPD is more than 50%, although not a few factors can hamper the enforcement of diversion itself. This study aims to find out how the process of diversion conducted by BCPD Drug Division and whatever obstacles they face. This research was conducted using normative juridical approach method and empirical juridical research specification, that is by examining secondary data consisting of primary law material, secondary law material, and field research in the form of a third party related interview. It can be argued that the application of diversion is not easy but does not make the process of applying diversion of children stalled. In addition to the necessary reforms in the aspect of a legislative establishment, it is also necessary to develop the infrastructure and capacity building of the law enforcement in the implementation of the diversion process, so that the implementation of diversion system can be done optimally. Thus, Indonesia as a just state of law can provide complete protection and justice for children from the conventional criminal justice systems Keywords: Child Criminal Court System, Diversion, Law Enforcement

scholarly journals PENERAPAN DIVERSI TERHADAP ANAK YANG BERKONFLIK DENGAN HUKUM MENURUT QANUN ACEH NOMOR 9 TAHUN 2008 TENTANG PEMBINAAN KEHIDUPAN ADAT DAN ADAT ISTIADAT DAN UNDANG-UNDANG NOMOR 11 TAHUN 2012 TENTANG SISTEM PERADILAN PIDANA ANAK

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-139
Author(s):  
Maulana Muslim Hrp ◽  
Madiasa Ablisar ◽  
Marlina ◽  
Edy Ikhsan
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Restorative Justice ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Mediation Process ◽  
Legal Process ◽  
Special Place ◽  
The Law

The background is by two law applications that apply in Aceh, the first law that generally applies in Indonesia and the second one that applies specifically in Aceh, the Law Number 11 of 2012 concerning the System Juvenile Criminal Court is a way out for better handling of children conflict with the law. The law regulates diversion where there are two important things that have a special place in the SPPA Law, namely restorative justice and diversion. The results showed that the resolution of the problem of children conflict with the law in Aceh consists of two legal applications, starting with the mediation process according to Aceh Qanun Number 9 of 2008 concerning fostering customary life and customs Development with the aim that these problems can be resolved amicably according to the Decree Joint between the Governor of Aceh and the Aceh Regional Police and the Aceh Traditional Council No 189/677/2011 dated 20 December 2011 concerning the Implementation of the Gampong and Mukim Adat Courts, but if during the mediation process no agreement is found then proceed to the legal process according to the Law Number 11 of 2012 concerning the Criminal Justice System for Children.

An Attempt to Prosecute: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Communication to the International Criminal Court Relating to the Alleged Crimes in Egypt

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-762
Author(s):  
Hossam ElDeeb
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
International Criminal Court ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Rome Statute ◽  
International Criminal ◽  
Muslim Brotherhood ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Political Debates ◽  
Legal Position ◽  
The Muslim Brotherhood

The article analyses a communication submitted by the Muslim Brotherhood group (mb) to the International Criminal Court (icc) relating to alleged crimes in Egypt. After the ousting of Morsi, hundreds of Morsi supporters were killed during the dispersal of two sit-in camps. The mb lawyers argued that the ousted, Morsi, is still the legitimate president of Egypt and hence can accept the Court’s jurisdiction pursuant to Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute. It is argued that such controversial communications submitted to the Court have serious implications other than the intended purpose of communications. The article briefly reviews the situation of Egypt’s criminal justice system in relation to the alleged crimes and the legal position of the mb, then analyses the scope of Article 12(3) before it critically argues that the communication submitted to the icc was for political gain and the Court should restrain itself from entering into political debates.

Criminal Justice in an Era of Mass Deportation

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid V. Eagly
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
State Level ◽  
Plea Bargaining ◽  
The United States ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
Collateral Consequence

After a sustained period of hypercriminalization, the United States criminal justice system is undergoing reform. Congress has reduced federal sentencing for drug crimes, prison growth is slowing, and some states are even closing prisons. Low-level crimes have been removed from criminal law books, and attention is beginning to focus on long-neglected issues such as bail and criminal court fines. Still largely overlooked in this era of ambitious reform, however, is the treatment of immigrants in the criminal justice system. An unprecedented focus on immigration enforcement targeted at “felons, not families” has resulted in a separate system of punitive treatment reserved for noncitizens, which includes crimes of migration, longer periods of pretrial detention, harsher criminal sentences, and the almost certain collateral consequence of lifetime banishment from the United States. For examples of state-level solutions to this predicament, this Essay turns to a trio of bold criminal justice reforms from California that (1) require prosecutors to consider immigration penalties in plea bargaining; (2) change the state definition of “misdemeanor” from a maximum sentence of a year to 364 days; and (3) instruct law enforcement agencies to not hold immigrants for deportation purposes unless they are first convicted of serious crimes. Together, these new laws provide an important window into how state criminal justice systems could begin to address some of the unique concerns of noncitizen criminal defendants.

“Visible” and “Invisible” Victims in the Criminal Justice System

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Armando Saponaro
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Common Law ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Prosecutor ◽  
Law System ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Victim Impact Statement

This chapter outlines the “conflict” and “peace-keeping” victim-oriented justice paradigms. The latter empowers the victims of crime, putting them at the center of an encounter and using interindividual mediation or collective circles to address conflict resolution. Two models are critically discussed in the conflict victim-oriented justice paradigm. The European continental “visible victim” model structures the role of the victim as a full-fledged processual party together with the public prosecutor and offender. In this model, the victim has the same rights and powers of the defendant. The “invisible victim” common law model views the victim as a trial witness, participating, for example, through a victim impact statement (in the United States) or victim personal statement (in the United Kingdom) at the sentencing stage. The visible victim conflict paradigm model enhances a victim's role and involvement in the criminal justice system, offering a solution to existing controversial and critical common law system issues.

9 Criminal Justice

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dickson Brice
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Supreme Court ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
Criminal Cases ◽  
The Supreme Court ◽  
The Right

This chapter selects five issues within the sphere of criminal justice to exemplify how the Irish Supreme Court has made its mark in the field. It looks first at the Court’s approach to the principle that prosecutions should be ended if they are unfair to the defendant and then moves to related issues surrounding use of the Special Criminal Court. It considers whether the Supreme Court has done enough to police the Special Criminal Court and whether reforms are necessary in that domain. In examining the Supreme Court’s views on the right to bail and on the admissibility of evidence which has been obtained unconstitutionally or otherwise illegally (with particular reference to the Damache and JC cases), comparisons are made with other common law jurisdictions. A final section looks at the Supreme Court’s position regarding the retrospectivity of declarations of incompatibility in criminal cases.

scholarly journals Challenges of Effective Communication in the Criminal Justice Process: Findings from Interviews with Victims of Sexual Offences in Australia

Laws ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Rhiannon Davies ◽  
Lorana Bartels
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Sexual Offences ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process

This article focuses on gendered experiences of the criminal justice system, specifically the experiences of adult female victims of sexual offending and the communication difficulties they experience during the criminal justice process. Drawing on the findings from qualitative interviews about sentencing with six victims and 15 justice professionals in Australia, we compare the lived experiences of the victims with the perceptions of the justice professionals who work with them, revealing a significant gap between the information justice professionals believe they are providing and the information victims recall receiving. We then analyse the international literature to distil effective communication strategies, with the goal of improving victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system as a whole. Specifically, we recommend verbal communication skills training for justice professionals who work with victims of crime and the development of visual flowcharts to help victims better understand the criminal justice process. We also recommend that Australian victims’ rights regimes be reformed to place the responsibility for providing information about the criminal process on the relevant justice agencies, rather than requiring the victim to seek this information, and suggest piloting automated notification systems to help agencies fulfil their obligations to provide victims with such information.

Suggestibility in the Courtroom

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Gabbert ◽  
Lorraine Hope
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Legal Process ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
System P ◽  
Investigative Process

Due to the constructive nature of memory, recollections for events are easily contaminated or distorted by information encountered after the event took place. People can therefore mistakenly report information that has been suggested to them, but that they have not in reality experienced. In light of this well-documented memory fallibility, the current chapter explores how memory can be distorted during the investigative and legal process. Key factors affecting the reliability of eyewitness statements are discussed, including stress and arousal, intoxication, and individual differences in vulnerability to suggestion. The chapter examines when people are most likely to be vulnerable to suggestion and focuses, in particular, on how memory can be distorted during the investigative process as a result of poor interviewing practice and co-witness contamination. The chapter concludes with consideration of how best to minimize the negative effects of suggestibility for the criminal justice system

The Muddied Path between the Criminal Court and the State Hospital

1980 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-411
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Geller
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
State Hospital ◽  
Treatment Program ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Community Care ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
The State

The court's use of the state hospital has been characterized by misuse of criminal commitment statutes to gain admission for defendants. The author examines this process by focusing on the interaction between hospital and court during a 1-month period. The outcome indicates that despite the best intentions of both the legal and the psychiatric professions, criminal commitments yield neither a treatment program nor an aftercare plan. Specific suggestions concerning professional education, forensic services, chronic community care, and community education are made with a focus toward the diminution of inappropriate referrals to the state hospital by the criminal justice system.

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