The revelation of an "ace" prosecutor's criminal misconduct in Osaka, and of a coverup by his bosses and peers, have led to one of the most serious scandals in the history of Japanese criminal justice — and to many calls for reform of Japan's prosecution system.
The Asahi newspaper, which broke the story, has urged Japan's procuracy to "rebuild itself from scratch," and the Yomiuri, Japan's largest circulation paper, has declared that the "entire prosecution system needs drastic reform."
These and other observers have every reason to be outraged about prosecutors' betrayal of trust, and they also are wise to wonder what can be done to prevent similar problems from occurring in the future. The misconduct in this case — prosecutor Tsunehiko Maeda's altering of evidence on a floppy disk to increase the odds of convicting welfare ministry bureau chief Atsuko Muraki — not only came close to framing an innocent person; it also violates the values of truth and fairness on which Japan's criminal process is supposed to be based. In this sense, the prosecution's bad acts deserve the strongest condemnation.