PRESS CONFERENCE
Abolishing Japan's 'Hostage Justice' System
Takashi Takano, Attorney at Law,
Chairperson of The Right Against Interrogation Society (RAIS)
Seiho Cho, Attorney at Law, Vice Chairperson of RAIS
Mariko Nomura, Attorney at Law, a member of RAIS
13:00-14:00 Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in Japanese with English interpretation
Japan's criminal justice system is often said to rely on 'hostage justice' to extract confessions, resulting in prolonged periods of detention without trial that would be unthinkable in many jurisdictions worldwide.
In a notorious case, two Japanese executives of a Yokohama manufacturer of spray dryers were held for 332 days without trial while a third died of stomach cancer during the ordeal. Their firm was accused of exporting products that could be used to make biological weapons. Prosecutors have reportedly offered no apologies despite dropping the charges due to a lack of evidence and, in December 2023, the Tokyo District Court found that a proper investigation was not carried out.
Criminal defense attorney Takashi Takano has been a relentless critic of 'hostage justice'. He has decades of experience defending clients and, in 2021, he wrote a book called "Hitojichi Shiho" (Hostage Justice). Takano has founded the group "Torishirabe Kyohiken wo Jitsugensuru Kai" (The Right Against Interrogation Society, or RAIS) with 20 young criminal defense lawyers, to "establish and realize the right to remain silent inside police interrogation rooms and to abolish the infamous hostage justice system in Japan".
To mark the group's inauguration on June 11, Takano and his colleagues will visit the FCCJ to discuss the group's raison d'etre and their fight against the 'hostage justice' strategy that is long ingrained in Japan's legal system.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/LqcaUnkpoQQxqas56
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee