A government panel on judiciary reform produced an interim report in November that called for specific measures, such as creating law schools and tripling the annual crop of legal experts-to-be (those who pass the state law exam) to 3,000.
The Council on Judiciary Reform was created in July last year in response to concerns in business and other circles that deregulation and administrative reform could disrupt the economy unless the judicial system is bolstered. The general public also wants a more reliable justice system.
Japan's justice system is admittedly less developed than those of other industrialized nations. For example, the nation has neither a jury system nor a council system (in which selected citizens share decision-making with judges). The need to introduce either system has been recognized, although which will be adopted remains to be seen.