The Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday it has instructed the offices of district prosecutors across the country to extend the recording of interrogation sessions for suspects to victims and witnesses on a trial basis.
The top office said it filed the instruction with the 50 district prosecutors' offices in a notice dated Monday.
Audio or video recording of both victim and witness questioning sessions will take place in criminal cases where it is vital to secure a conviction, the office said, adding that both will be allowed to oppose recording, and that prosecutors will be allowed to skip the process if they think it will hamper questioning.
In April, the Justice Ministry, which serves as the secretariat for the advisory body, filed a report with the panel calling for prosecutors to be required to record the questioning of suspects. The ministry plans to submit a set of bills on the recording of questioning to the Diet session starting in January 2015.