①The family court may issue a summons to a juvenile or parent or guardian and summon them when it is found necessary for the investigation or trial and decision of the case.

②The family court may issue an escort warrant for a juvenile or a parent or guardian and escort them if they fail to comply with, or are likely to fail to comply with, the summons provided in the preceding paragraph without reasonable grounds.

①Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article, the family court may issue an escort warrant for a juvenile and escort them in case of an emergency need of protection, and if it is found necessary for their welfare.

②In urgent cases the presiding judge may take the measures stated in the preceding paragraph or have a member of the panel of judges do this.

①An escort warrant is executed by a family court investigating officer.

②The family court may have a police officer, a probation officer, or a court clerk execute an escort warrant.

③In urgent cases, the presiding judge may take the measures stated in the preceding paragraph or have a member of the panel of judges do this.

①The family court may examine a witness, or order an expert opinion, interpretation, or translation.

②The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure concerning examination of a witness, or ordering of an expert opinion, interpretation, and translation to be conducted by the court apply mutatis mutandis to the case stated in the preceding paragraph unless contrary to the nature of the protection case.

①The family court may conduct an inspection, seizure, or search, or issue an order to provide electronic or magnetic records.

②The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure concerning inspection, seizure, search, and order to provide electronic or magnetic records to be conducted by the court, apply mutatis mutandis to the case stated in the preceding paragraph, unless contrary to the nature of the protection case.

①The family court may have a police officer, a probation officer, a volunteer probation officer, a child welfare officer (which means a child welfare officer as prescribed in Article 12-3, paragraph (2), item (vi) of the Child Welfare Act; this also applies in Article 26, paragraph (1) of this Act), or a commissioned child welfare volunteer provide necessary assistance in investigation and observation.

②The family court may request the necessary cooperation from public offices, public and private organizations, schools, hospitals and others in performing their duties.

①A family court may implement measures for observation and protection listed in the following items by a ruling if the measures are needed for its trial and decision:

②Measures for observation and protection regarding an escorted juvenile must be implemented within 24 hours, at the latest, from the time of the arrival. This also applies to the measures regarding a juvenile who has been detained or arrested, and is referred to the court by a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer.

③If the measures prescribed in item (ii) of paragraph (1) are implemented, then the period of detention of the juvenile at the juvenile classification home may not exceed two weeks; provided, however, that the period may be renewed by the court's ruling if continued custody is particularly needed.

④The renewal pursuant to the proviso of the preceding paragraph is not to take place more than once; provided, however, that the renewal may take place with a limit of up to two additional times if the family court has decided to conduct an examination of a witness, seek an expert's opinion, or conduct an inspection or has implemented these measures to find out the facts of the delinquent act (including motive for the offense, the manner and impact of the crime, or other important facts closely related to the crime; this also applies below) punishable by imprisonment or a heavier punishment, concerning a juvenile as prescribed in Article 3, paragraph (1), item (i), and if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that a family court trial and decision would be severely hindered without detaining the juvenile.

⑤Notwithstanding the proviso of paragraph (3), the period of detention in a case once again referred by a public prosecutor may not be renewed if the measures prescribed in item (ii) of paragraph (1) have already been implemented or a detention warrant has already been issued regarding the case.

⑥If the judge implements the measures prescribed in paragraph (1), item (i) of this Article upon request pursuant to the provisions of Article 43, paragraph (1), the measures are deemed as those prescribed in paragraph (1), item (i) of this Article if the case is subsequently referred to a family court.

⑦If the judge implements the measures prescribed in item (ii), paragraph (1) of this Article upon request pursuant to the provisions of Article 43, paragraph (1), the measures are deemed to be those prescribed in item (ii), paragraph (1) of this Article if the case is subsequently referred to a family court. In this case, the period prescribed in paragraph (3) begins from the day when the case is referred to a family court.

⑧The measures for observation and protection may be repealed or amended by a ruling.

⑨Regarding the measures provided in paragraph (1), item (ii), the total period of detention may not exceed eight weeks; provided, however, that no ruling that makes a total custody period longer than four weeks is to be rendered without the grounds prescribed in the proviso of paragraph (4).

⑩In case of emergency, the presiding judge may take the dispositions prescribed in paragraphs (1) or (8), or have a member of the panel of judges do this.

①A juvenile, their legal representative, or attendant may file an objection against a ruling as prescribed in paragraph (1), item (ii) of the preceding Article or in the proviso of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article to a family court where the protection case is pending; provided, however, that the attendant may not file an objection that is contrary to the intent clearly indicated by the parent or guardian, who appointed the attendant.

②The objection referred to in the preceding paragraph may not be filed on the reasoning that there are no grounds for referring the case to trial and decision.

③A ruling by the family court, on the objection referred to in paragraph (1), must be made by a panel. In this case, a judge who was involved in the ruling of prior instance may not participate in giving this ruling.

④The provisions of Articles 32-3, 33 and 34 apply mutatis mutandis to a case in which the objection prescribed in paragraph (1) is filed. In this case, the phrase "revoke the ruling given in the prior instance, and remand the case to the court of prior instance, or transfer the case to another family court" in Article 33, paragraph (2) is deemed to be replaced with "revoke the ruling given in the prior instance, and a further judicial decision must be made if it is deemed necessary."

①The provisions of Article 35, paragraph (1) apply mutatis mutandis to the ruling prescribed in paragraph (3) of the preceding Article. In this case, the term "two weeks" in Article 35, paragraph (1) is deemed to be replaced with "five days."

②The provisions of paragraph (4) of the preceding Article and Article 32-2 apply mutatis mutandis if an appeal is filed pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

①If there are circumstances under which immediate custody in a juvenile classification home is found extremely difficult, following the implementation of the measures prescribed in Article 17, paragraph (1), item (ii), the family court may, by a ruling, provisionally detain the juvenile to the nearest juvenile training school or to a specially separated place inside the nearest penal institution; provided, however, that the period must not exceed 72 hours from commencement of detention.

②In case of an emergency, the presiding judge may take the dispositions stated in the preceding paragraph or have a member from a panel of judges do it.

③The period of detention pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) is deemed to be the period of detention in a juvenile classification home by the measures prescribed in item (ii) of paragraph (1) of Article 17; the period prescribed in paragraph (3) of that Article is to begin from the day of detention in the juvenile training school or penal institution.

④If the judge detained a juvenile pursuant to paragraph (1) upon request prescribed in the provisions of Article 43, paragraph (1), the detention is deemed to be the detention prescribed in paragraph (1) if the case is subsequently referred to the family court.

①When it is found appropriate to take measures prescribed in the provisions of the Child Welfare Act as a result of the investigation, the family court, by a ruling, must refer the case to a prefectural governor or director of a child guidance center who has authority over the case.

②The family court, by a ruling, may refer the case concerning a juvenile referred by a prefectural governor or director of child guidance center, pursuant to the provisions of Article 6-7, paragraph (2), to the prefectural governor or director of a child guidance center who has authority over the case, with a time limit and instructions as to the means of protection and any other measures to be taken.

①The family court must make a ruling not to commence a trial if it finds, as a result of the investigation, that it is impossible or inappropriate to subject the case to trial and decision.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if it is found, as a result of the investigation, that the person in question is 20 years of age or older, the family court, by a ruling, must refer the case to a public prosecutor at the public prosecutor's office that is the counterpart of the district court with jurisdiction over the case.

①The family court, by a ruling, must refer a case punishable by imprisonment or a heavier punishment to a public prosecutor at the public prosecutor's office that is the counterpart of the district court with jurisdiction over the case, if the criminal disposition of the case is found appropriate, as a result of the investigation, considering the nature and circumstances of the crime.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the family court must make a ruling as prescribed in that paragraph for a case in which a juvenile who is 16 years of age or older committed an intentional criminal act that caused the death of a victim; provided, however, that this does not apply if the court finds any measures other than the criminal disposition more appropriate, as a result of the investigation, which considers motive for the offense, manner , circumstances or situation after the offense, the juvenile's character, age, conduct, environment and other circumstances.

If it is found appropriate to commence a trial as a result of the investigation, the family court must make a ruling to that effect.

①Trial and decision must be conducted cordially and amicably, and encourage the delinquent juvenile to reflect on their delinquency.

②The trial and decision are not open to the public.

③The presiding judge is to direct the trial and decision.

①The family court, by a ruling, may have a public prosecutor participate in a trial and decision for a case involving a juvenile as prescribed in Article 3, paragraph (1), item (i) concerning a crime which is punishable by the death penalty, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment with a maximum term exceeding three years, when the court finds that the participation of a public prosecutor in the trial and decision is necessary to certify the facts of the delinquent act.

②The family court must hear the opinion of a public prosecutor, in advance, to give the ruling stated in the preceding paragraph, except for when the public prosecutor requests to attend the hearing.

③If a ruling, as prescribed in paragraph (1), is given on the case, the public prosecutor, as provided for by the Rules of the Supreme Court, may inspect and copy the records of the case and articles of evidence, attend the trial and decision (including the announcement of the ruling that closes the case), ask questions to the juvenile, witnesses and other concerned persons, and give opinions to the extent that is necessary to certify the facts of the delinquent act.