The 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, originally having convened in Kyoto from 20 to 27 Apr., this year, was postponed to an as yet undetermined later date due to worldwide situation related to the Corona Virus. The United Nations holds the congress every five years, and each gathering attracts a huge turnout of senior justice and law-enforcement officials, working-level prosecutors, officials and project officers from multinational organizations, and representatives of nonprofit organizations. In 2015, some 4,000 participants from about 140 nations gathered in Doha for the 13th congress.
Hosting the 14th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice is rightly an opportunity for Japanese to reappraise nagging questions about their justice system, specifically so-called Japanese ‘Hostage Justice’. Those questions include serious doubts about such practices as the extended detention of defendants before and during trials, repeated interrogation in the absence of detainees’ defense lawyers, and the evidentiary priority that judges can and frequently do allot to depositions obtained under duress. Most pressing of all is the question as to why more than 99% of Japanese indictments result in convictions.
Sadly, the program for the Kyoto Congress does not include any sessions for addressing the above questions in Japan’s justice system. Bolstering Japan’s international standing will depend heavily on demonstrating a commitment as a mature democracy to the rule of law. Therefore, we, Study Group of Double Entry Accounting System shall convene Alternative Judicial Congress focusing only Japanese ‘Hostage Justice’ exclusively
Although the Kyoto Congress was postponed, the Alternative Congress shall be held as planned but without public participation. It shall be broadcasted by net both in Japanese and English translation on the timetable below. You can watch the program by the screen channel provided here.
Alternative Justice Congress Trailer : Why We Hold (7 mins)
Schedule
| date | begins at | theme | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr. (Wed.) | 18:30 | False Charge Mechanism in Accounting Fraud | https://youtu.be/8aEgdMFEsYU |
| 23 Apr. (Thr.) | 18:30 | Retrial Innocence and Japanese Retrial System | https://youtu.be/tOSYE77zSFw |
| 24 Apr. (Fri.) | 18:30 | Nissan Ghosn’s Case and Mr. Ghosn’s Overseas Flight | https://youtu.be/xkftr7CSYtk |
| 25 Apr. (Sat.) | 18:30 | Director-General Mrs. Muraki’s Case and Õme Bid-Ridding | https://youtu.be/7SWwsnU7aqY |
| 26 Apr. (Sun.) | 18:30 | Olympus Accounting Fraud and 966 Days Detention | https://youtu.be/N_ARk93Z938 |
*Be notified that the original broadcasting schedule has been changes.
Speakers
| Role | Occupation | Name | Date | Photo (click to expand) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | Criminal Accounting Specialist | Y. Hosono | All |  |
| Chairman | Former member, House of Councillors | T.Inuzuka | All |  |
| Panelists | ||||
| Journalist | A. Yamada | 22 |  |
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| Lawyer, Ex-Tokyo High Court Judge | A. Kitani | 23 |  |
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| Retrial innocence, Fukawa Case | S. Sakurai | 23 |  |
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| Defendant Lawyer of Osaki case | Y.Kamoshida | 23 |  |
|
| Lawyer, Ex-Prosecutor | N.Gohara | 24 & 25 |  |
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| Professor, Ritsumeikan University | T.Matsumiya | 22, 24 – 26 |  |
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| Professor, Ritsumeikan University | C.Morihisa | 22, 23 & 25 |  |
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| Professor,Kohnan University | T.Umemoto | 26 |  |
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| Buddist Priestand Translator | M.Waku | 26 |  |
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| Writer | M.Sato | 22 |  |
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| Defendant lawyer of Muraki Case | J.Hironaka | 25 |  |
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| From Beiruit | Nissan Ghosn Case | C.Ghosn | 24 |  |
| From London | M.Woodford | 26 |  |
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| Message | ||||
| A Convict at Yokosuka Prison | N.Yokoo | 26 |  |
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if you have questions, mail to info@yuji-hosono.com.