Part VI Summary Proceedings
第六編 略式手続
第四百六十一条
Upon the request of the public prosecutor and based on a summary order, the summary court may impose a fine or petty fine of not more than 1,000,000 yen before the trial, for cases under its jurisdiction. In this case, the summary court can suspend the sentence, order a confiscation, or take other supplementary measures.
簡易裁判所は、検察官の請求により、その管轄に属する事件について、公判前、略式命令で、百万円以下の罰金又は科料を科することができる。この場合には、刑の執行猶予をし、没収を科し、その他付随の処分をすることができる。
第四百六十一条の二
The public prosecutor shall, when requesting a summary order, explain to the suspect the matters necessary for him/her to understand the summary proceedings, notify the suspect that he/she may be tried pursuant to regular provisions, and confirm that he/she has no objection to the application of summary proceedings.
検察官は、略式命令の請求に際し、被疑者に対し、あらかじめ、略式手続を理解させるために必要な事項を説明し、通常の規定に従い審判を受けることができる旨を告げた上、略式手続によることについて異議がないかどうかを確めなければならない。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
The suspect shall, when he/she has no objection to application of summary proceedings, clarify to that effect in a written document.
被疑者は、略式手続によることについて異議がないときは、書面でその旨を明らかにしなければならない。
第四百六十二条
A request for a summary order must be filed in writing at the same time as institution of prosecution.
略式命令の請求は、公訴の提起と同時に、書面でこれをしなければならない。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
The document referred to in the preceding paragraph must be accompanied with the document referred to in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article.
第四百六十二条の二
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
When a public prosecutor files a request for a summary order and there is an agreement under Article 350-2, paragraph (1) on the case with the defendant, the public prosecutor must submit the statement of agreement to a court upon filing of the request.
検察官は、略式命令の請求をする場合において、その事件について被告人との間でした第三百五十条の二第一項の合意があるときは、当該請求と同時に、合意内容書面を裁判所に差し出さなければならない。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
After a public prosecutor has submitted the statement of agreement to a court pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if the public prosecutor is notified by the party to the agreement before the court issues a summary order that the party is to pull out of the agreement pursuant to the provisions of Article 350-10, paragraph (2), the public prosecutor must submit to the court the document referred to in the same paragraph without delay.
前項の規定により合意内容書面を裁判所に差し出した後、裁判所が略式命令をする前に、当該合意の当事者が第三百五十条の十第二項の規定により当該合意から離脱する旨の告知をしたときは、検察官は、遅滞なく、同項の書面をその裁判所に差し出さなければならない。
第四百六十三条
When a request is filed under Article 462 with regard to a case, and the court considers that it is impossible or inappropriate to issue a summary order, the court must try the case in accordance with regular provisions.
第四百六十二条の請求があつた場合において、その事件が略式命令をすることができないものであり、又はこれをすることが相当でないものであると思料するときは、通常の規定に従い、審判をしなければならない。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
The preceding paragraph also applies when a public prosecutor fails to follow the procedure provided in Article 461-2 or files a request for a summary order in violation of Article 462, paragraph (2).
検察官が、第四百六十一条の二に定める手続をせず、又は第四百六十二条第二項に違反して略式命令を請求したときも、前項と同様である。
When a court tries a case in accordance with regular provisions pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, the court must immediately notify the public prosecutor to that effect.
裁判所は、前二項の規定により通常の規定に従い審判をするときは、直ちに検察官にその旨を通知しなければならない。
When a public prosecutor has received the notice under the preceding paragraph, the public prosecutor must promptly submit to the court a transcript of the charging sheet as one to be served on the defendant.
検察官は、前項の規定による通知を受けたときは、速やかに、裁判所に対し、被告人に送達するものとして、起訴状の謄本を提出しなければならない。
Changes and moves to paragraph (6) by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
In the cases of paragraph (1) and paragraph (2), the provisions of Article 271 and Article 271-2 apply; in this case, the phrase "prosecution has been instituted" in Article 271, paragraph (1) is deemed to be replaced with "the submission of a transcript of the charging sheet under the provisions of Article 463, paragraph (4) has been made", the phrase "the date of institution of prosecution" in paragraph (2) of that Article is deemed to be replaced with "the date on which the notice under the provisions of Article 463, paragraph (3) was given", and the phrase "to the court, upon the institution of prosecution, together with the charging sheet" in Article 271-2, paragraph (2) is deemed to be replaced with "to the court promptly after receiving the notice under the provisions of Article 463, paragraph (3)".
第一項及び第二項の場合には、第二百七十一条及び第二百七十一条の二の規定の適用があるものとする。この場合において、第二百七十一条第一項中「公訴の提起」とあるのは「第四百六十三条第四項の規定による起訴状の謄本の提出」と、同条第二項中「公訴の提起が」とあるのは「第四百六十三条第三項の規定による通知が」と、第二百七十一条の二第二項中「公訴の提起において、裁判所に対し、起訴状とともに」とあるのは「第四百六十三条第三項の規定による通知を受けた後速やかに、裁判所に対し」とする。
Moves to paragraph (7) by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
The submission of the extract of the charging sheet, etc. under the provisions of Article 271-2, paragraph (2) as applied with replacement of terms in the preceding paragraph is deemed to have been made upon the institution of prosecution for the purpose of the application of Article 338 (limited to the portion pertaining to item (iv)).
前項において読み替えて適用する第二百七十一条の二第二項の規定による起訴状抄本等の提出は、第三百三十八条（第四号に係る部分に限る。）の規定の適用については、公訴の提起においてされたものとみなす。
第四百六十三条の二
Except for the circumstances set forth in the preceding Article, when the defendant has not been notified of a summary order within four months from the date that the request for said summary order was filed, institution of prosecution shall lose effect retroactively.
前条の場合を除いて、略式命令の請求があつた日から四箇月以内に略式命令が被告人に告知されないときは、公訴の提起は、さかのぼつてその効力を失う。
In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, the court shall render a ruling to dismiss prosecution. In cases where a public prosecutor has already been notified of a summary order, the court shall rescind the summary order and rule for a dismissal.
前項の場合には、裁判所は、決定で、公訴を棄却しなければならない。略式命令が既に検察官に告知されているときは、略式命令を取り消した上、その決定をしなければならない。
An immediate appeal may be filed against a ruling as prescribed in the preceding paragraph.
前項の決定に対しては、即時抗告をすることができる。
第四百六十四条
A summary order shall show the facts constituting the crime, the laws and regulations applied, the sentence to be imposed, and supplementary measures, and shall also give an indication to the effect that it is possible to request a formal trial within fourteen days from the date that notification of the summary order is given.
略式命令には、罪となるべき事実、適用した法令、科すべき刑及び附随の処分並びに略式命令の告知があつた日から十四日以内に正式裁判の請求をすることができる旨を示さなければならない。
第四百六十五条
The person who receives the summary order or the public prosecutor may, within fourteen days from the date of receiving notification, request a formal trial.
略式命令を受けた者又は検察官は、その告知を受けた日から十四日以内に正式裁判の請求をすることができる。
Requests for a formal trial shall be made in writing to the court that rendered the summary order. The court shall, when there is a claim for a formal trial, promptly notify the public prosecutor or the person who received the summary order to that effect.
正式裁判の請求は、略式命令をした裁判所に、書面でこれをしなければならない。正式裁判の請求があつたときは、裁判所は、速やかにその旨を検察官又は略式命令を受けた者に通知しなければならない。
第四百六十六条
The request for a formal trial may be withdrawn until the judgment of the first instance is rendered.
正式裁判の請求は、第一審の判決があるまでこれを取り下げることができる。
第四百六十七条
The provisions of Article 353, Article 355 through Article 357, Article 359, Article 360, and Article 361 through Article 365 shall apply mutatis mutandis to a request for a formal trial and its withdrawal.
第三百五十三条、第三百五十五条乃至第三百五十七条、第三百五十九条、第三百六十条及び第三百六十一条乃至第三百六十五条の規定は、正式裁判の請求又はその取下についてこれを準用する。
第四百六十八条
The court shall, when a request for a formal trial violates the forms provided for in laws and regulations, or when a request is made after loss of the right to request, dismiss, on a ruling, said request. An immediate appeal may be filed against this ruling.
正式裁判の請求が法令上の方式に違反し、又は請求権の消滅後にされたものであるときは、決定でこれを棄却しなければならない。この決定に対しては、即時抗告をすることができる。
The court shall, when a request for a formal trial is deemed to be lawful, try the case in accordance with regular provisions.
正式裁判の請求を適法とするときは、通常の規定に従い、審判をしなければならない。
In the case set forth in the preceding paragraph, the trial is not to be restricted by the summary order.
前項の場合においては、略式命令に拘束されない。
When it has been decided under paragraph (2) that the trial is to be conducted in accordance with the ordinary provisions, the public prosecutor may, if the public prosecutor finds it necessary with regard to the particulars identifying an individual of a person set out in Article 271-2, paragraph (1), item (i) or (ii) that are stated in the charging sheet, request the court to take measures to prevent those particulars identifying an individual from becoming known to the defendant.
検察官は、第二項の規定により通常の規定に従い審判をすることとされた場合において、起訴状に記載された第二百七十一条の二第一項第一号又は第二号に掲げる者の個人特定事項について、必要と認めるときは、裁判所に対し、当該個人特定事項が被告人に知られないようにするための措置をとることを求めることができる。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
A request under the preceding paragraph is deemed to be a request under Article 271-2, paragraph (1), and paragraph (2) of that Article applies to it; in this case, the phrase "to the court, upon the institution of prosecution, together with the charging sheet" in that paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "promptly to the court".
前項の規定による求めは、第二百七十一条の二第一項の規定による求めとみなして、同条第二項の規定を適用する。この場合において、同項中「公訴の提起において、裁判所に対し、起訴状とともに」とあるのは、「速やかに、裁判所に対し」とする。
Changes by (Act No. 39 of 2025)
The provisions of Article 463, paragraph (6) apply mutatis mutandis to the submission of the extract of the charging sheet, etc. under the provisions of Article 271-2, paragraph (2) as applied with replacement of terms in the preceding paragraph.
第四百六十三条第六項の規定は、前項において読み替えて適用する第二百七十一条の二第二項の規定による起訴状抄本等の提出について準用する。
第四百六十九条
When a judgment is made based on a request for a formal trial, the summary order shall cease to be effective.
正式裁判の請求により判決をしたときは、略式命令は、その効力を失う。
When a summary order has lost its effect, the detention warrant pertaining to the ruling under Article 345-2 and to the ruling under Article 342-8, paragraph (1) (limited to the portion pertaining to item (i)) as applied mutatis mutandis with replacement of terms pursuant to Article 345-3 loses its effect.
略式命令が効力を失つたときは、第三百四十五条の二の規定による決定及び第三百四十五条の三において読み替えて準用する第三百四十二条の八第一項（第一号に係る部分に限る。）の規定による決定に係る勾留状は、その効力を失う。
第四百七十条
A summary order shall, where the time period for a request for a formal trial has lapsed or where such request is withdrawn, have the same effects as a final and binding judgment. The same applies when a decision dismissing a request for a formal trial becomes final and binding.
略式命令は、正式裁判の請求期間の経過又はその請求の取下により、確定判決と同一の効力を生ずる。正式裁判の請求を棄却する裁判が確定したときも、同様である。
particulars identifying an individualmachine translation
「個人特定事項」
A person's name, address or any other matter that would identify an individual.
Defined inArticle 201-2, paragraph (1)
extract of the charging sheet, etc.machine translation
「起訴状抄本等」
An extract of the charging sheet (起訴状) with the particulars identifying an individual (個人特定事項) concerned left out, or another document in place of a copy of it, which a public prosecutor submits with the charging sheet when instituting prosecution, to be served on the defendant, when asking the court under Article 271-2 to keep those particulars from the defendant.
Short name set inArticle 271-2, paragraph (2)
statement of agreement
「合意内容書面」
The document, signed jointly by the public prosecutor, the suspect or defendant and defense counsel, that sets out an agreement under Article 350-2 (Article 350-3, paragraph (2)); once prosecution is instituted in the case, the prosecutor must ask the court without delay to examine it as evidence.
Short name set inArticle 350-7, paragraph (1)
confiscation
没収
A punishment that can only be added to a principal one (付加刑) (Penal Code, Article 9): a thing connected with the crime is confiscated. What may be confiscated is the thing that makes up the crime, a thing used or meant to be used for it, a thing it produced or gained or that was received as a reward for it, and what was received in exchange for such a thing (Article 19, paragraph (1)); only a thing belonging to no one but the offender, unless someone else acquired it after the crime knowing the facts (paragraph (2)). For a crime punishable only by penal detention (拘留) or a petty fine (科料), only the thing that makes up the crime may be confiscated, unless a special provision says otherwise (Article 20). Where a thing gained by the crime cannot be confiscated, its value may be collected instead (追徴) (Article 19-2).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 9, 19, 19-2, 20 as a reference.
fine
罰金
A criminal punishment of paying money to the state, of 10,000 yen or more, or less where it is reduced (Penal Code, Article 15). It ranks below imprisonment (拘禁刑) and above penal detention (拘留) and a petty fine (科料) (Articles 9 and 10, paragraph (1)). A person who cannot pay it in full is held in a workhouse (労役場) for one day to two years, or up to three years where fines are imposed together, a period set when the sentence is passed (Article 18, paragraphs (1), (3) and (4)); not within thirty days of the sentence becoming final without the person's consent (paragraph (5)). If it is not enforced for three years after the sentence becomes final, the person is released from it by prescription (Articles 31 and 32, item (v)); the three years do not run while its execution is suspended under law or the person is abroad, and an act of execution interrupts them (Articles 33 and 34, paragraph (2)).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 9, 10, 15, 18, 31 to 34 as a reference.
petty fine
科料
The lightest criminal punishment: paying 1,000 yen or more but less than 10,000 yen (Penal Code, Articles 9, 10 and 17). A person who cannot pay it in full is held in a workhouse (労役場) for one day to thirty days (Article 18, paragraph (2)).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 9, 10, 17, 18 as a reference.
public prosecutor
検察官
The official who brings a prosecution (公訴) for a crime before a court (Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 247), and who may decide not to prosecute where, in view of the offender's character, age and circumstances, the gravity and circumstances of the offence and what happened after it, prosecution is not needed (Article 248). In criminal cases a public prosecutor asks the court to apply the law correctly and oversees the carrying out of its judgments; and, as the representative of the public interest, a public prosecutor also does the work other laws and regulations assign to a public prosecutor, which is not limited to criminal cases (Public Prosecutors Office Act, Article 4). A public prosecutor may investigate any crime (Article 6, paragraph (1)). Public prosecutors work through the public prosecutors offices (検察庁): the Supreme, High, District and Local Public Prosecutors Offices (Article 1).
Written by AI using Code of Criminal Procedure, Arts. 247, 248 and Public Prosecutors Office Act, Arts. 1, 4, 6 as a reference.
service
送達
The delivery of a document in a court proceeding, such as a lawsuit, to the person it is for, by a procedure the law lays down: unless a provision says otherwise, the court carries it out of its own motion, the court clerk handles the work (Code of Civil Procedure, Article 98), and the person who effects it reports on it to the court in writing (Article 100, paragraph (1)); the complaint must be served on the defendant (Article 138, paragraph (1)), and the judgment on the parties (Article 255, paragraph (1)). A document is served by post or by a court enforcement officer (執行官) (Article 101, paragraph (1)), as a rule by handing it to the person (Article 102-2), at their address, residence, place of business or office, or at their workplace where those are unknown or service there meets an obstacle (Article 103); each party, legal representative and litigation representative (訴訟代理人) must tell the court a place in Japan where they are to be served (Article 104, paragraph (1)), and service abroad is made at the presiding judge's request to that country's authorities or to a Japanese ambassador, minister or consul there (Article 108). If the person is not found at a place other than their workplace, the document may be handed to an employee or a person living with them who can be trusted to receive it, and if it is refused without a legitimate reason it may be left there (Article 106, paragraphs (1) and (3)); where it cannot be served in those ways, the court clerk may send it by registered mail, and it counts as served when it is sent (Article 107, paragraphs (1) and (3)). An electronic record can also be served through the courts' electronic system on a person who has registered for it, by making it available to them and sending them a notice, and that service takes effect when they view it or save it to their computer, or one week after the notice was sent, whichever comes first (Articles 109-2, paragraph (1), and 109-3, paragraph (1)); a person who must make filings online, such as a litigation representative (訴訟代理人) entrusted with the case, can be served this way even without registering, and without a notice, the week then running from when the record was made available (Articles 109-4 and 132-11, paragraph (1)). Where a party's address or other place for service is unknown, among other cases, the court clerk may serve by publication (公示送達), on petition or where the court orders it, and serves the same party by publication again of the clerk's own motion, as a rule (Article 110, paragraphs (1) to (3)): that the clerk holds the document and will hand it over at any time is made available for anyone to view, by a method the Supreme Court's rules (最高裁判所規則) set, and posted on the court's notice board or shown on a screen at the court (Article 111), and service takes effect two weeks after that begins, or six weeks for service to be made abroad, though one made again of the clerk's own motion takes effect the day after it begins (Article 112, paragraphs (1) and (2)). Some time limits run from service: an appeal to the court of second instance (控訴), for one, must be filed within two weeks of the day the judgment is served (Article 285).
Written by AI using Code of Civil Procedure, Arts. 98, 100 to 104, 106 to 112, 132-11, 138, 255, 285 as a reference.
summary court
簡易裁判所
One of the four kinds of lower court (下級裁判所) beneath the Supreme Court, with the high courts (高等裁判所), the district courts (地方裁判所) and the family courts (家庭裁判所) (Courts Act, Article 1, and Article 2, paragraph (1)). A summary court has jurisdiction at first instance over civil claims whose value does not exceed 1.4 million yen, other than claims in administrative cases, and over criminal cases for offences punishable by no more than a fine or for which a fine is one of the penalties the law allows, among others (Article 33, paragraph (1)). A petition for court mediation goes, unless a special rule says otherwise, to the summary court for the place where the other party lives or has its business office or other office, or to a district court or summary court the parties agree on (Civil Mediation Act, Article 3, paragraph (1)).
Written by AI using Courts Act, Arts. 1, 2, 33 and Civil Mediation Act, Art. 3 as a reference.
suspended sentence
執行猶予
A court's decision, when it passes a sentence, to hold off carrying it out. A person sentenced to imprisonment (拘禁刑) of three years or less or a fine (罰金) of 500,000 yen or less who has not been sentenced to imprisonment before, or not within five years of finishing such a sentence, may have the whole of it suspended for one to five years from the day the judgment becomes final (Penal Code, Article 25, paragraph (1)), and may be put under probation (保護観察) for that time (Article 25-2, paragraph (1)). A person whose earlier imprisonment was itself wholly suspended may have a new sentence of two years or less suspended again where there are especially extenuating circumstances, and is then put under probation (Article 25, paragraph (2); Article 25-2, paragraph (1)). If the period passes without the suspension being revoked, the sentence loses its effect (Article 27, paragraph (1)), unless a prosecution is pending for a crime committed in the period, in which case it stays in effect and can still be revoked (paragraphs (2), (4) and (5)); it must or may be revoked if, for example, the person commits another crime in the period and is sentenced to imprisonment without suspension (Articles 26 and 26-2). A sentence of imprisonment of three years or less may also be suspended in part, the rest being served first (Article 27-2).
Written by AI using Penal Code, Arts. 25 to 27-2 as a reference.