3 Notification system for complainants and victims, etc.

When a public prosecutor prosecutes or decides not to prosecute a case in which a complaint, etc. has been made, they must promptly inform the complainant, etc. of that decision. In the case of non-prosecution the public prosecutor must also promptly inform the complainant, etc. of the reason for that disposition if requested to do so.

Furthermore, public prosecutors inform the victims, etc. of the disposition, the date of public trial, and the sentence rendered if the victims, etc. request them to do so in cases involving murder or other equivalent serious cases, as well as in cases in which public prosecutors, etc. have interviewed the victims, etc. If requested by victims, etc. and deemed appropriate, the pertinent information provided can include a summary of the facts that constituted the offense prosecuted, the principal reasons for non-prosecution, the progress of the trial, and the release of inmates, etc. In 2010 notifications were provided on a total of 42,798 cases with regard to the result of the disposition, 24,521 on the fixed date for a trial, 35,633 on the sentence rendered, and 2,015 on the release of inmates (including notifications to witnesses, etc.) (Source: The Criminal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Justice).

This system was further enhanced in December 2007 to enable, in principle, the scheduled completion date of the term of the sentence of inmates, matters regarding the status of treatment at penal institutions, and matters regarding the revocation of suspension of execution of the sentence, etc. to be made available by public prosecutors, matters regarding the commencement of parole examinations and decisions to be informed by Regional Parole Boards, and any matters regarding the commencement/status/termination of probation/parole supervision to be provided by the directors of probation offices if requested by victims, etc. In 2010 notifications were provided in a total of 8,908 cases regarding the scheduled completion date of the term of the sentence (including notifications to witnesses, etc.), 10,054 regarding the status of treatment at penal institutions, and 67 regarding revocation of the suspension of execution of the sentence, 2,783 regarding parole examinations, and 3,157 regarding the status of probation/parole supervision (Source: The Criminal Affairs Bureau and the Rehabilitation Bureau, Ministry of Justice).

In addition to this system, and in order to prevent revictimization of victims, etc., public prosecutors inform victims, etc. of the scheduled release date of inmates, etc. upon a concrete request by victims, etc. when the notification is deemed appropriate. In 2010, 490 victims, etc. received such notifications (including notifications to witnesses, etc.) (Source: The Criminal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Justice).