Japan Govt to Delay Submission of Retrial System Reform Bill

Tokyo, April 9 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government is set to delay the submission to the Diet, or parliament, of a bill aimed at amending the country's retrial system, initially scheduled for this week.

The move came as the government sees the need to take more time for coordination.

The bill to revise the criminal procedure law, drafted by the Justice Ministry, continues to allow public prosecutors to appeal court decisions to reopen finalized trials.

In response to criticisms of the system, the government is considering modifying the bill by setting limits on prosecutors' appeals. It is preparing to present a modified version of the bill to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party as early as next week.

However, it remains uncertain whether the modified bill can gain the LDP's approval. Some in the party are calling for banning prosecutors from challenging courts' retrial decisions.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]