Japan may soon allow law enforcement agencies to request a warrant online and present it on digital devices such as a tablet when executing their duties, the government decided Friday.

While Japan has already passed laws to digitalize administrative and civil procedures in 2019 and 2022, respectively, most criminal procedures have remained paper-based.

A 441-page proposal seeks to change this by revising relevant laws to digitalize criminal procedures in the country, to reduce the burden on both law enforcement and ordinary citizens, according to the Justice Ministry.

The bill has been approved by the Cabinet, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said on Friday. It is now pending deliberation by parliament. Once passed, all amendments are expected to take effect by the end of March 2027.

The proposed law change covers a wide range of proceedings in criminal cases.

Currently, law enforcement agencies need to submit paperwork to the court in person to acquire a warrant, which can take several hours even when an arrest needs to be made urgently. The option to request and acquire warrants online would save both footwork and time, according to the Justice Ministry.

Meanwhile, attorneys will no longer need to visit the court in person to read and make copies of criminal case records stored there in paper form, as they will be made digitally available following a revision of the relevant laws.

Apart from simplifying paperwork, the judiciary will also incorporate videoconferencing in court proceedings, such as during detention hearings and the cross examination of witnesses. Victims of crimes will also be able to attend court hearings virtually to reduce the mental stress of being in the same room as the alleged perpetrator, the Justice Ministry said.

The revision will also expand the definition of the forgery of administrative and civil documents — which is currently limited to paper documents — to include digital content as well. The ministry expects the move to fill a loophole in tackling investment scams on social media using the names of celebrities, which might not be punishable under the current legislation.

In 2024, billionaire influencer Yusaku Maezawa sued social media giant Meta for its negligence in regulating scams that bore his name and image.

The law will also expand the list of offenses that allow for wiretapping during criminal investigation. Under the current law, wiretapping can be employed in the investigation of fraud offenses involving tangible assets such as cash. But crimes involving financial benefits are not covered by the existing law.

The ministry noted as an example cases in which scammers defraud victims by having them purchase gift cards at convenience stores and transmit the redemption codes, effectively allowing such perpetrators to gain financial benefits.

Courts throughout Japan issued 57 warrants in 2024 to allow law enforcement to wiretap the suspects as a part of investigations, which led to the arrests of 99 suspects, according to the government’s annual report to parliament approved by the Cabinet on Friday.