Fig. IV-12 shows the number of persons convicted by ordinary first instance courts over the last10years in cases involving foreigners(here referring to cases in which the defendant was a foreign national)and in cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators.

Fig. IV-12 Trends in Number of Persons Convicted in Cases Involving Foreigners and in Cases Involving Foreigners Assisted by Interpreters or Translators(1989-1998)

  The number of persons convicted in cases involving foreigners and in cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators both continued to increase until1998,when they declined slightly from the previous year. The number of persons convicted in cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators in1998accounted for10.6%of the total number of persons convicted and85.4%of persons convicted in cases involving foreigners(source:General Secretariat, Supreme Court).
  By language, Chinese accounted for the largest share(39.4%)among foreign defendants assisted by interpreters or translators in ordinary first instance in1998(totaling7,159persons), followed by Korean(11.1%), Tagalog(9.3%), Persian(8.9%), Thai(7.2%), Spanish(5.5%), English(3.5%)and Urdu(2.9%).
  In ordinary first instance of cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators in1998,3persons were sentenced to life imprisonment,7,102to imprisonment with labor for a limited term, and11to imprisonment without labor for a limited term, while16persons were given fines.
  Table IV-4 compares the term of imprisonment between cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators and cases in which the defendants were Japanese nationals.

Table IV-4 Number of Foreign Defendants Assisted by Interpreters or Translators,   by Term of Sentence(1998)

  The suspended execution rate in cases involving foreigners assisted by interpreters or translators stood at87.9%. The execution of imprisonment with labor was suspended in87.9%of applicable cases, while the execution of imprisonment without labor was suspended in90.9%of cases. The suspended execution rate in cases in which the defendants were Japanese nationals stood at60.6%. The execution of imprisonment with labor was suspended in59.1%of applicable cases, while the execution of imprisonment without labor was suspended in93.9%of cases(source:Director-General's Secretariat, Supreme Court).