3 Pretrial arrangement proceeding

When the court deems it necessary to conduct productive proceedings of a trial consecutively, systematically and speedily, the court may, prior to the first trial date, order that the case be subject to a pretrial arrangement proceeding as trial preparation for arrangement of the issues and evidence of the case. The Act on Participation of Saiban-ins in Criminal Trials (Act No. 63 of 2004; hereinafter referred to as the “Saiban-in Act”) defines that cases covered by Saiban-in trials (refers to criminal trials with the participation of Saiban-ins (lay judges)) shall be all subject to the pretrial arrangement proceeding. In addition, when the court considers it necessary during the course of the proceedings, the court may, after the first trial date, put the case into an inter-trial arrangement proceeding as preparation for the trial to arrange the issues and evidence of the case.

Table 2-3-2-5 shows the number of persons in cases brought to a pretrial arrangement proceeding or inter-trial arrangement proceeding in district courts by type of offense in 2009.

Table 2-3-2-5 Number of persons in cases brought to a pretrial arrangement proceeding or inter-trial arrangement proceeding in district courts by type of offense (2009)

Table 2-3-2-5