Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi on Monday asked an advisory panel to consider ways to expand the involvement of crime victims and bereaved families in criminal proceedings.
The Legislative Council will discuss whether to allow such people to attend pretrial procedures to clarify issues and establish a trial plan. It will also consider the need to revise relevant legislation.
There is currently no legal provision allowing victims to participate in or observe pretrial procedures involving the court, prosecutors and defense lawyers.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.