The Law Concerning Compensation for Damage to Witnesses etc. was promulgated on April 30, 1958, and came into force in July 1958, together with a partial amendment of the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure, under circumstances where many vicious crimes were being committed by organized crime groups and violent offenses such as bodily injury, assault, etc. were committed against witnesses, unsworn witnesses, or their family or relatives, etc. in the course of investigation or a formal trial on such offenses.
  The Law provides that, where witnesses or unsworn witnesses of criminal cases or their relatives are killed or injured in connection with their statements or their appearance at the courts, judges or investigating authorities, or where official defense counsels or their relatives suffer similar damage as they perform or attempt to perform their duties, the government shall make compensation for medical treatment, injury or sickness, disability, bereavement, funerals and so forth. A partial amendment to the Law, effective since April 1, 1996, expanded the target of compensation for nursing care needed as a result of injury that is to be covered by the compensation under the law.
  From the enforcement of this law to 2002, compensations were made in 5 cases (Source: Data by Criminal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Justice).