Aspecial panel of the Justice Ministry's Legislative Council on June 29 started discussions on judicial system reform for criminal cases. The panel was set up in response to the discovery of evidence-tampering by a member of the Osaka District Public Prosecutors Office's special investigation squad.
The evidence-tampering involved a case in which a former health and welfare ministry official was being tried on a charge of forging an official document.
In late March, another panel made proposals for prosecution reform after five months of discussions. But the proposals were unsatisfactory.