①When examining material evidence upon the request of the public prosecutor, the defendant or the defense counsel, the presiding judge must order the person who has made that request to display it; provided however, that the presiding judge may personally display the evidence, or order an associate judge or court clerk to do so.

②When examining material evidence ex officio, the presiding judge must personally display the evidence to the persons concerned in the case or order an associate judge or court clerk to do so.

Material evidence whose purport as a document serves as evidence is examined pursuant to the preceding Article and Article 305.

①When a court examines electronic or magnetic records upon request from a public prosecutor, the defendant or the defense counsel, the presiding judge must, depending on the matters that are to constitute evidence, order the person who has made the request for the examination to read the content aloud, display it or play it back; provided, however, that the presiding judge may personally take these measures, or have an associate judge or a court clerk take them.

②When a court examines electronic or magnetic records ex officio, the presiding judge must personally take the measures prescribed in the preceding paragraph, or have an associate judge or a court clerk take these measures.

③The provisions of Article 305, paragraphs (3) and (4) apply mutatis mutandis to the measures under the preceding two paragraphs.

The provisions of Articles 296, 297, 300 through 302, and 304 through the preceding Article do not apply to cases in which the ruling prescribed in Article 291-2 has been made, and the evidence may be examined by an appropriate method on the trial date.

The court must provide sufficient opportunity for the public prosecutor and the defendant or the defense counsel to challenge the probative value of the evidence.

①The public prosecutor, the defendant or the defense counsel may raise objections regarding the examination of evidence.

②The public prosecutor, the defendant or the defense counsel may, in addition to the objections prescribed in the preceding paragraph, raise objections to the dispositions of the presiding judge.

③The court must make a ruling on the objections raised under the preceding two paragraphs.

Documentary or material evidence must be submitted to the court without delay after the examination of said evidence; provided however, that a transcript may be submitted instead of the original with the permission of the court.

①The defendant may remain silent at all times or may refuse to answer particular questions.

②If the defendant makes a statement voluntarily, the presiding judge may ask the defendant any necessary questions at any time.

③The associate judge, the public prosecutor, the defense counsel, the codefendant or the defense counsel of said codefendant may, by notifying the presiding judge, also ask questions as prescribed in the preceding paragraph.

①The court must, upon the public prosecutor's request, allow the addition, withdrawal or alteration of the counts or applicable penal statutes in the charging sheet so far as this does not modify the identity of the charged facts.

②The court may order the public prosecutor to add or alter a count or applicable penal statute when the court deems it appropriate during the course of the proceedings.

③The request under paragraph (1) must be made by submitting a document.

④At the same time as the request under paragraph (1), the public prosecutor must submit to the court a transcript of the document referred to in the preceding paragraph (hereinafter referred to as the "written request for alteration of counts, etc.") to be served on the defendant.

⑤When the transcript of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. has been submitted pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the court must serve it on the defendant without delay.

⑥Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (3), in open court where the defendant is present, the request under paragraph (1) may be made orally. In this case, the provisions of paragraph (4) do not apply.

⑦The court must, when it deems the addition or alteration in the count or the applicable penal statute may cause substantial disadvantage to the defense of the defendant, rule to suspend the trial for a period necessary for the defendant to prepare for a sufficient defense, upon the request of the defendant or the defense counsel.

①When a public prosecutor deems it necessary with regard to the particulars identifying an individual of a person listed in Article 271-2, paragraph (1), item (i) or (ii) that are stated in the written request for alteration of counts, etc., the public prosecutor may request the court to take measures to prevent those particulars identifying an individual from becoming known to the defendant through the service of the transcript of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (5) of the preceding Article.

②A request under the preceding paragraph must be made by submitting to the court, together with the written request for alteration of counts, etc., as one to be served on the defendant, an extract of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. in which the particulars identifying an individual pertaining to the request are not stated, or other document that substitutes for a transcript of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. (hereinafter referred to as the "extract of the written request for alteration of counts, etc." in this Article).

③When the extract of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. has been submitted pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the court must, notwithstanding paragraph (5) of the preceding Article, serve the extract of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. on the defendant without delay.

④The provisions of Articles 271-3 through 271-8 apply mutatis mutandis where the extract of the written request for alteration of counts, etc. is submitted pursuant to paragraph (2). In this case, the phrase "paragraph (1), item (i), (c), (1) or item (ii), (a) of the preceding Article" in Article 271-3, paragraph (3) is deemed to be replaced with "Article 271-2, paragraph (1), item (i), (c), (1) or item (ii), (a)", the phrase "Article 271-2, paragraph (4)" in Article 271-5, paragraph (1) with "Article 312-2, paragraph (3)", and the phrase "paragraph (1), item (i) or item (ii) of that Article" in Article 271-6, paragraph (5) and Article 271-8, paragraph (1) with "Article 271-2, paragraph (1), item (i) or item (ii)".

①The court may, when it deems it appropriate, upon the request of the public prosecutor, the defendant or the defense counsel, or ex officio, rule to separate or consolidate the proceedings, or reopen proceedings which have been concluded.

②The court must, when it is necessary to protect the rights of the defendant, rule to separate the proceedings pursuant to the Rules of Court.

①The appointment of defense counsel by the court, presiding judge or a judge pursuant to the provisions of this Code remains in force even if the proceedings have been consolidated; provided however, that this does not apply if the court renders a different ruling.

②When rendering the ruling set forth under the proviso to the preceding paragraph, the court must first hear the opinions of the public prosecutor and the defendant or the defense counsel.

①When the defendant is in a state of insanity, the proceedings must be suspended while the defendant is in such state, after hearing the opinions of the public prosecutor and the defense counsel; provided however, that when the court clearly finds that the defendant is not guilty or should be barred further prosecution, or that the defendant should be exculpated or the prosecution should be dismissed, the court may immediately render these judgments without the appearance of the defendant.

②When the defendant is unable to appear at the trial due to illness, the proceedings must, upon hearing the opinions of the public prosecutor and the defense counsel, be ruled to be suspended until it becomes possible for the defendant to appear; provided however, that this does not apply when a representative appears pursuant to the provisions of Articles 284 and 285.

③When a witness essential to fact finding cannot appear on the trial date due to illness, the court must suspend the proceedings until it becomes possible for the witness to appear, except when the court deems it appropriate to examine the witness on a day other than the trial date.

④Prior to suspending the trial pursuant to the preceding three paragraphs, the court must hear the opinion of a medical doctor.

When one of the judges has been changed after the trial has been convened, the court proceedings must be renewed; provided however, that this does not apply when the court pronounces a judgment.

If the ruling prescribed in Article 291-2 has been rescinded, the proceeding must be renewed; provided however, that this does not apply when there is no objection from the public prosecutor and the defendant or the defense counsel.

The proceedings conducted by a single judge of a district court remain in force, even if the case should have been tried by a panel.