Harsher treatment or second chances? Japan at crossroads in juvenile law debate
A Justice Ministry panel has proved sharply split over whether to exclude 18- and 19-year-olds from correctional programs guaranteed by the law.
60% of young people in Japan back plan to lower age of adulthood to 18
A recent survey by the Nippon Foundation has found that 60 percent of young people support the plan to lower the age of adulthood from 20 to 18 in April 2022. Many respondents also reacted favorably to a proposal by the government to lower the ...
Justice chief targets Juvenile Law so 18-year-olds can be charged as adults
Justice Minister Katsutoshi Kaneda consults an advisory panel about the feasibility of lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 18 from 20.
Head of Japan lawyers' group criticizes media for naming ex-minor sentenced to death
The head of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations on Friday criticized news organizations that reported the name of a man sentenced to death for a double murder committed when he was a juvenile. "It is regrettable that the news reports violated the juvenile law, ...
Minor’s death sentence sees Japan media split on anonymity rule
The debate centers on whether to name a man who lost an appeal against a death sentence for a 2010 double murder.
LDP panel delays adopting proposals to change drinking, smoking age a day after unveiling the plan
Strong opposition from LDP members to lowering the legal age from 20 to 18 meant the panel will discuss the matter again next week to revise the proposals.
Girl sent to medical reformatory over murder of classmate in Sasebo
Experts are divided over a family court decision to send a 16-year-old girl, who killed a classmate last summer, to a medical reformatory instead of to prosecutors for criminal indictment.
Shifting the scales of juvenile justice
In light of 13-year-old Ryota Uemura's recent murder in Kawasaki, the country is once again split over whether or not to revise the law governing crimes committed by minors.
Questions raised over keeping teen suspects anonymous
The involvement of three teen-aged suspects in the death of a boy in Kawasaki is fueling debate about the anonymity granted to minors in cases of this kind.
Proposed changes for youth offenders satisfy calls by victims for harsher punishment, but critics express doubt at a time when juvenile crime is waning.
Should young criminals face harsher penalties?
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet approved a bill this month to bolster punishments issued under the juvenile law. This is partly in response to growing calls by people victimized by juvenile offenders to reduce their apparent impunity. Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki defended the move as ...
The Cabinet approved a bill Friday to lengthen the maximum jail term for juvenile criminal offenders to 20 years from 15, allowing the government to submit it to the Diet. The government is under pressure from people victimized by crimes to revise the Juvenile Law ...
