The Justice Ministry and the Liberal Democratic Party have been at loggerheads over how to revise Japan¡¯s retrial system, which has been criticized for its lengthy procedures that mean it can take decades for those who may have been wrongfully convicted to clear their name.
The ministry first presented at the end of March its version of a revision to the criminal procedural law to an LDP panel for approval, only to be told it needed further revision. Subsequent back and forth has gone on for several rounds, delaying the schedule for Cabinet approval.
It¡¯s now unclear when or if the Justice Ministry¡¯s revised legislation can be submitted to parliament for deliberation. Getting approval from the ruling LDP for legislation the government plans to submit to the Diet, or Japan¡¯s parliament, is customary to ensure smooth parliamentary deliberation.
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