A panel of the Legislative Council, an advisory body for the justice minister, had been discussing whether to lower the maximum age of minors subject to protection under the Juvenile Law from 19 to 17. An amendment to lower this age threshold would have a major impact on rehabilitation programs for youths who have committed a criminal offense. The panel should proceed with utmost care in this discussion.
A 2015 amendment to the Public Offices Election Law that lowered the voting age from 20 to 18 from June last year, and a government plan to revise the Civil Code to lower the legal age of adulthood to 18, have touched off moves to lower the maximum of age for protection under the Juvenile Law as well. In February, then-Justice Minister Katsutoshi Kaneda asked the council to consider whether it would be appropriate to lower the age.
Instead of seeking punishment for minors, the Juvenile Law aims to help them become productive members of society through educational support. Proponents of lowering the age of minors covered by the Juvenile Law appear to think that such an amendment would serve as a deterrent against youth crime. There is a belief that some minors commit offenses fully aware that they won't be held criminally responsible and instead will be protected by the Juvenile Law. It should be noted, however, that education and guidance provided by juvenile reformatories and other facilities play an important role in rehabilitating young offenders. During hearings by the panel, experts from those facilities said the current system that places emphasis on education aimed at rehabilitation of minor offenders is working effectively. Members of the panel should not forget the significance of the programs provided by these facilities.