Japan Introduces Fully Digital Civil Litigation System

Tokyo, May 21 (Jiji Press)–Japan introduced a fully digital civil litigation system Thursday, allowing civil lawsuits to be conducted entirely online, from filing complaints to receiving judgments. The country also launched a system under which judgments will be handed down within seven months upon requests from both plaintiffs and defendants, a move expected to improve the convenience and speed of trials. Under the revised civil procedure law, complaints and written arguments that used to be submitted to the court in person or by mail can now be submitted electronically in formats such as PDF files. While online submission is mandatory for lawyers acting as legal representatives, paper submissions will continue to be accepted for pro se cases where no representative is appointed. The submitted digital data will be managed by the Japanese courts’ “mints” system, which allows litigants to view documents and evidence online at any time and obtain judgment documents electronically. Third parties seeking access to records can view them through dedicated devices at courts nationwide. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]