时间：2024年4⽉21⽇
地点：早稻田会议室
On April 21, 2024, the Asian Lawyers Network (ALN) welcomed a group of lawyers from China, facilitating an exchange between Chinese and Japanese legal experts. The day was structured around two focused seminars. The morning seminar featured Mr. Katayama Hirohiko (片山朋彦), who discussed the abolition of the death penalty and its current state in Japan. In the afternoon, a second seminar took place where Mr. Hayakawa Akihide (早川明秀), an administrative scrivener, spoke about Japan’s scriveners’ system and its role.
2024年4月21日，亚洲律师网络（ALN）迎来了一组来自中国的律师，为促进了中日法律专家之间的交流。当天的活动安排了两场专题研讨会。上午的研讨会邀请了片山朋彦先生发言，他讨论了废除死刑的现状以及在日本的进展。下午的研讨会中，行政书士早川明秀先生介绍了日本的书士系统和作用。
Below is a summary of the seminars.
以下是研讨会的总结。
SEMINAR #1
Abolition of Death Penalty 废除死刑
In 1977, In 1977, the Declaration of Stockholm was drafted, calling on every government around the world to halt all executions and condemn governments that uphold the death penalty. By the end of that year, 16 countries had abolished it, and this number rose to 108 in 2020. By 2021, 144 countries had abolished the death penalty either in law or in practice. "In practice" refers to countries where the death penalty is legal but not enforced, such as South Korea, which has not carried out executions since 1988. As of 2022, 55 countries still actively enforce the death penalty, which include regions in North America, China, India, Taiwan, Africa, the Middle East, etc.
1977年，斯德哥尔摩宣言起草，呼吁全世界的政府停止使用死刑。该宣言旨在终止所有执行死刑并谴责仍然保持死刑的政府。到那年年底，已有16个国家废除了死刑，到2020年这一数字增至108个。到2021年，有144个国家在法律上或实际上废除了死刑。“实际上”指的是那些法律上有死刑但不执行的国家，例如韩国，自1988年以来就没有执行过死刑。截至2022年，仍有55个国家在积极执行死刑，包括北美、中国、印度、台湾、非洲、中东等地区。
One thing to note is that China does not disclose its execution statistics, making it difficult to include in global data. In 2020, executions reached a record low globally due to COVID-19. From 2020 to 2022, Iran and Saudi Arabia primarily executed the most people, most of them were political prisoners and those convicted of drug offenses. In 2022, China reportedly executed several thousand people, leading the list followed by Iran, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.
需要注意的是，中国不公开其执行死刑的统计数据，这使得将其数据纳入全球数据变得困难。2020年，全球执行死刑的数量达到了历史低点。从2020年到2022年，伊朗和沙特阿拉伯主要执行了最多的死刑，大部分是政治犯和毒品犯罪被判人。2022年，据报道中国执行了数千人的死刑，位列首位，其次是伊朗、沙特、新加坡、美国和越南。
Execution methods in 2022 varied: beheading in Saudi Arabia; lethal injection in the USA, China, and Vietnam—with pharmaceutical companies halting exports due to their drugs being used in executions; hanging in Japan, Iran, Singapore, Syria, and South Sudan; and firing squads in China and North Korea. In the USA, where 195 people have been exonerated from death row since 1973, 23 states have abolished the death penalty, and 24 retain it. Japan faces international pressure to abolish the death penalty and align with global human rights standards, most likely following the US’s pass.
2022年的死刑执行方法有所不同：沙特阿拉伯采用斩首；美国、中国和越南采用注射——由于其用于执行死刑的药物，制药公司停止了出口；日本、伊朗、新加坡、叙利亚和南苏丹采用绞刑；中国和北朝鲜采用枪决。在美国，自1973年以来，有195人从死囚中被宣判无罪释放，23个州废除了死刑，24个州保留。日本面临国际压力，要求废除死刑并符合全球人权标准，最有可能的是跟随美国的做法。
Death Penalty in Japan 日本的死刑制度
International human rights law includes key documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Japan ratified in 1979. However, Japan has not ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, which aims to abolish the death penalty, adopted in 1989. International human rights bodies have repeatedly called on Japan to engage the public in discussions about the death penalty and to consider its abolition.
国际人权法包括《世界人权宣言》和《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》（ICCPR），日本在1979年批准了该公约。然而，日本没有批准1989年通过的旨在废除死刑的ICCPR第二可选议定书。国际人权机构一再呼吁日本加强公众对死刑的讨论并考虑废除死刑。
One contentious aspect of Japan’s death penalty practice is the notification process; inmates are informed of their execution only 24 hours in advance, making it psychologically torturous for both the inmates and their families. Additionally, the process for a death row inmate to request a retrial is extremely challenging, contributing to concerns about justice and fairness.
日本执行死刑的一个有争议的方面是通知程序；囚犯通常在执行前仅24小时得到通知，这对囚犯及其家庭造成了极大的心理折磨。此外，死囚申请重审的过程极为困难，这增加了对正义和公平的担忧。
In Japan, the death penalty can be applied in cases of 19 different crimes, but in practice, it is largely reserved for severe offenses such as murder, robbery resulting in murder, and rape leading to death. There are also legal provisions for the death penalty in cases of insurrection or when external forces are conspired with to attack Japan (Article 81 of the Penal Code), although these have never been applied.
在日本，死刑可以适用于19种不同的犯罪，但实际上主要用于严重罪行，如谋杀、抢劫杀人和强奸导致死亡。法律还规定在内乱或与外部势力合谋攻击日本的情况下可以判处死刑（刑法第81条），尽管这些从未被应用。
Before the final sentencing, death row inmates are held at the Tokyo Detention House, where executions are carried out by hanging, a method that typically causes death by breaking the neck, but can take several minutes for the inmate to fully succumb, considered by many as extremely cruel.
在最终宣判之前，死行囚犯被关押在东京拘留所，通过绞刑方式执行死刑，这种方法通常通过断颈导致死亡，但囚犯完全死亡可能需要几分钟，被认为是极其残忍的。
The method does not meet United Nations standards for humane treatment, and between 2011 and 2022, Japan executed approximately 3 to 5 individuals annually. Despite international criticism, a 2019 government survey revealed that approximately 80% of the population supports the death penalty, underscoring its perceived necessity within Japan’s judicial system.
这种方法不符合联合国对人道待遇的标准，2011年至2022年间，日本每年大约执行3至5人。尽管面临国际批评，2019年的政府调查显示，大约80%的民众支持死刑，这强调了死刑在日本司法系统中被认为是必需的。
Q&A 问答环节
Q: How are death penalty decisions finalized in Japan, considering the influence of the Minister of Justice and public opinion?
A: In Japan, the Minister of Justice must sign off on executions, but this does not change the nature of the crime. A single murder rarely results in a death sentence unless the case involves extremely severe circumstances or a high likelihood of reoffending. Cultural factors, such as the historical glorification of seppuku, also influence people’s perceptions of the death penalty.
问：鉴于法务大臣的影响和公众意见，日本是如何最终确定死刑决策的？
答：在日本，法务大臣必须批准执行死刑，但这并不改变罪行的性质。单一的谋杀案件很少会导致死刑判决，除非案件涉及极其严重的情况或高再犯风险。文化因素，如对切腹的历史美化，也会影响群众对死刑的看法。
Q: How does the Japanese legal system handle arrests and prosecutions, especially regarding the power of prosecutors?
A: In Japan, the purpose of an arrest is to mitigate risk, but arrests are generally not made lightly. A suspect must be released within 72 hours unless formal charges are pressed. Prosecutors decide whether to indict, and there is no private prosecution. Once an indictment is made, the public tends to believe the prosecutor's case, reflected in the conviction rate of over 99%. Once sentenced, there is no parole for sentences longer than three years, and death penalty cases only allow family and lawyers limited visitation after the verdict is final.
问：日本的法律系统如何处理逮捕和起诉，尤其是关于检察官的权力？
答：在日本，逮捕的目的是为了减少风险，但通常不轻易进行逮捕。除非正式提起指控，否则必须在72小时内释放嫌疑人。检察官决定是否起诉，没有私人起诉权。一旦提起公诉，公众倾向于相信检察官的案件，这反映在超过99%的定罪率上。一旦判刑，超过三年的刑期没有假释可能性，死刑案件在判决生效后只允许家人和律师有限的探视权，每月大多数情况下只能探视几次，每次15至30分钟。
SEMINAR #2:
Administrative Scriveners 行政书士
Administrative Scriveners handle a variety of tasks, such as submitting documents to government offices, managing construction and real estate business approvals, and drafting factual proofs like articles of incorporation for new companies. They also deal with rights and obligations documents, such as inheritance division agreements, which are transferred to lawyers if disputes arise. Specifically, they assist foreigners with visa applications, requiring a registration card (pink card) from the Immigration Bureau. Although lawyers can perform these tasks, about 90% of foreign-related business is handled by administrative scriveners. Their companies predominantly handle business management and technical human visas, legal and accounting visas, mainly focusing on the first two. They also assist with applications for permanent residency, requiring over ten years of residence and a stable income.
行政书士处理各种任务，例如向政府办公室提交文件、管理建筑和房地产业务审批、起草新公司的事实证明文件如公司章程等。他们还处理权利义务文件，如遗产分割协议，如有争议则转交给律师处理。特别是，他们帮助外国人申请签证，需要从出入国管理局获得注册卡。虽然律师也可以执行这些任务，但约90%的与外国人相关的业务由行政书士处理。他们的公司主要处理公司经营和人文技术签证、法律会计签证，主要集中在前两种。他们还协助申请永久居留，要求居住超过十年且有稳定的收入。
Judicial Scriveners 司法书士
Judicial Scriveners handle cases where the disputed amount is less than ¥1.4 million and do not proceed to higher courts. They are also responsible for registrations, such as real estate and corporate registrations, which they can perform independently. While their role is extensive, they typically do not handle high court cases and instead, focus on registrations and lower court litigations.
司法书士处理争议金额不超过140万日元的案件，且不上诉至高等法院。他们还负责注册事务，如不动产和法人登记，可以独立执行。虽然他们的角色很广泛，但通常不处理高等法院案件，而是专注于登记和低级法院的诉讼。
The hierarchy in legal services is often seen as Lawyers > Judicial Scriveners > Administrative Scriveners.
法律服务的等级通常视为律师>司法书士>行政书士。
Demographics and Clientele 人口和客户
Over 90% of their clients are Chinese; staff includes people from China, Japan, and Taiwan. In Japan, there are over 23,000 judicial scriveners, and their assistants, who are not qualified, mainly consist of those aspiring to be lawyers or who haven't yet decided or are planning to become lawyers in the future.
他们公司超过90%的客户是中国人；员工包括来自中国、日本和台湾的人。在日本，司法书士超过23,000人，他们的助理没有资格，主要由希望成为律师或尚未决定/计划将来成为律师的人组成。
Income and Political Connections 收入和政治联系
The average annual income for these three professions is about 4 million yen. They maintain a good relationship with the government, especially with the Liberal Democratic Party
这三个职业的平均年收入约为400万日元。他们与政府，特别是执政党（自民党）保持良好关系。
Immigration Policy 移民政策
The internal review standards for immigration policies are often vague, granting considerable discretionary power to the reviewers. These standards are influenced by practical factors, including economic needs and labor market demands. As a result, it is crucial for administrative scriveners to maintain positive relationships with government officials to navigate these ambiguous guidelines effectively. The role of administrative scriveners has become particularly pivotal, as they have monopolized this sector for the past 10-20 years. Despite the potential risks associated with such a monopoly, there have been no significant reports of corruption within this timeframe.
移民政策的内部审查标准通常较为模糊，赋予审查人员相当大的自主决定权。这些标准受到经济需求和劳动力市场需求等实际因素的影响。因此，行政书士与政府官员保持良好的关系至关重要，以有效地应对这些含糊的审查标准。行政书士在这一领域的角色变得尤为关键，因为他们在过去的10-20年里垄断了这一行业。尽管这种垄断可能存在潜在风险，但在此期间内并未报告有重大的腐败问题。