Chapter II Disqualification and Recusal of Court Officials
第二章 裁判所職員の除斥及び忌避
第二十条
A judge is disqualified from execution of its duties when:
裁判官は、次に掲げる場合には、職務の執行から除斥される。
the judge is the victim;
裁判官が被害者であるとき。
the judge is or was a relative of the defendant or the victim;
裁判官が被告人又は被害者の親族であるとき、又はあつたとき。
Changes on a date not yet set (Act No. 46 of 2026)
the judge is a legal representative, supervisor of a guardian, curator, supervisor of a curator, assistant, or supervisor of an assistant for the defendant or the victim;
裁判官が被告人又は被害者の法定代理人、後見監督人、保佐人、保佐監督人、補助人又は補助監督人であるとき。
the judge has become a witness or an expert witness in the case;
裁判官が事件について証人又は鑑定人となつたとき。
the judge has become a representative, defense counsel or assistant for the defendant in the case;
裁判官が事件について被告人の代理人、弁護人又は補佐人となつたとき。
the judge has executed its duties of a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer in the case;
裁判官が事件について検察官又は司法警察員の職務を行つたとき。
Changes on a date not yet set (Act No. 46 of 2026)
with regard to the case, the judge has participated in a ruling prescribed in Article 266, item (ii), summary order or the decision of the lower court, or in the original judgment of a case which was sent back or transferred pursuant to the provisions of Articles 398 to 400, 412, or 413, or in the examination of evidence which formed the basis of such decisions; provided, however, that this does not apply when said judge participated as a delegated judge.
裁判官が事件について第二百六十六条第二号の決定、略式命令、前審の裁判、第三百九十八条乃至第四百条、第四百十二条若しくは第四百十三条の規定により差し戻し、若しくは移送された場合における原判決又はこれらの裁判の基礎となつた取調べに関与したとき。ただし、受託裁判官として関与した場合は、この限りでない。
第二十一条
When a judge is to be disqualified from the execution of its duties, or there is a concern that said judge may make a prejudicial decision, a public prosecutor or the defendant may recuse said judge.
裁判官が職務の執行から除斥されるべきとき、又は不公平な裁判をする虞があるときは、検察官又は被告人は、これを忌避することができる。
The defense counsel may recuse a judge on behalf of the defendant; provided, however, that such recusal may not be contrary to the intent expressed by the defendant.
弁護人は、被告人のため忌避の申立をすることができる。但し、被告人の明示した意思に反することはできない。
第二十二条
Once a request or a statement has been made with regard to a case, a party cannot recuse a judge on the grounds that there is a concern that said judge may make a prejudicial decision; provided, however, that this does not apply when the party did not know of the existence of a cause for recusal or when such cause occurred later.
事件について請求又は陳述をした後には、不公平な裁判をする虞があることを理由として裁判官を忌避することはできない。但し、忌避の原因があることを知らなかつたとき、又は忌避の原因がその後に生じたときは、この限りでない。
第二十三条
When a judge who is a member of a panel is recused, the court to which said judge is assigned must make the ruling. In this case, when the court is a district court, the ruling must be made by a panel.
合議体の構成員である裁判官が忌避されたときは、その裁判官所属の裁判所が、決定をしなければならない。この場合において、その裁判所が地方裁判所であるときは、合議体で決定をしなければならない。
When an individual judge who is assigned to a district court or a judge assigned to a family court is recused, a panel which is assigned to the same district or family court must make the ruling. When an individual judge who is assigned to a summary court is recused, a panel which is assigned to the district court which has jurisdiction must make the ruling; provided, however, that when the recused judge admits that the recusal has cause, such ruling will be deemed to have been made.
地方裁判所の一人の裁判官又は家庭裁判所の裁判官が忌避されたときはその裁判官所属の裁判所が、簡易裁判所の裁判官が忌避されたときは管轄地方裁判所が、合議体で決定をしなければならない。ただし、忌避された裁判官が忌避の申立てを理由があるものとするときは、その決定があつたものとみなす。
The recused judge may not participate in the ruling prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs.
忌避された裁判官は、前二項の決定に関与することができない。
When the court is unable to make a ruling because of the withdrawal of the recused judge, the ruling must be rendered by the next higher court.
裁判所が忌避された裁判官の退去により決定をすることができないときは、直近上級の裁判所が、決定をしなければならない。
第二十四条
When it is clear that the recusal of a judge has been made merely for the purpose of delaying proceedings, such recusal must be dismissed by a ruling. Paragraph (3) of the preceding Article does not apply to such case. The same applies to a ruling of dismissal against a recusal which was made in violation of Article 22 or the procedures established by the Rules of Court.
In the cases given in the preceding paragraph, a recused commissioned judge or the recused individual judge of a district court, or the recused judge of a family court or summary court, may dismiss the recusal.
前項の場合には、忌避された受命裁判官、地方裁判所の一人の裁判官又は家庭裁判所若しくは簡易裁判所の裁判官は、忌避の申立てを却下する裁判をすることができる。
第二十五条
An immediate appeal against a ruling of dismissal of a recusal may be filed.
忌避の申立を却下する決定に対しては、即時抗告をすることができる。
第二十六条
The provisions of this chapter apply mutatis mutandis to court clerks except for the provisions of Article 20, item (vii).
この章の規定は、第二十条第七号の規定を除いて、裁判所書記にこれを準用する。
The court to which the court clerk is assigned must make the ruling; provided, however, that in cases prescribed in Article 24, paragraph (1), the commissioned judge to whom the court clerk is assigned may make the ruling to dismiss the recusal.
決定は、裁判所書記所属の裁判所がこれをしなければならない。但し、第二十四条第一項の場合には、裁判所書記の附属する受命裁判官が、忌避の申立を却下する裁判をすることができる。
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.
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.