Japan Disposes of Official Documents on Retrial System Reform

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Justice Ministry disposed of official documents linked to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s screening of a bill to revise the Code of Criminal Procedure for retrial system reform, Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi said Friday. The disposal is likely to spark criticism because it will make it difficult to check the decision-making process of the government and the ruling party regarding the important bill. Asked about a Tokyo Shimbun newspaper report on the disposal, Hiraguchi told a news conference, “We’ve received a report that the documents were disposed of in accordance with laws and regulations, based on the judgment that they fall under documents with a storage period of less than one year.” He did not provide further details, saying, “Please ask the administrative staff for details.” The LDP’s preliminary screening of the draft bill took place from March to May. The ministry revised the draft three times before approval due to strong opposition to the original proposal, designed to protect the prosecution’s right to appeal a court decision to reopen a case. The public records and archives management law stipulates that administrative documents necessary to check decision-making processes be stored for at least one year. Documents eligible for shorter storage periods are limited to copies of originals, daily business communications and schedules, and documents compiled from publications. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]