# 刑事訴訟法 / Code of Criminal Procedure — 第三十八条の三 (Article 38-3) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Law: 刑事訴訟法 (Code of Criminal Procedure), 昭和二十三年法律第百三十一号 - English title "Code of Criminal Procedure": Ministry of Justice translation - Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say. - Provision: 第三十八条の三 (Article 38-3) — address `art-38-3` - Text in force since: 2026-10-20 - URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3 - e-Gov law ID: 323AC0000000131 — never renamed. A permanent link, `/l/{lawId}/{address}` on this site, redirects to the page. - Every provision below carries its address and its URL on the line under it. - Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below. Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names. They are never merged and never substituted for one another. --- ### 第三十八条の三 art-38-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3 **第一項** 裁判所は、次の各号のいずれかに該当すると認めるときは、裁判所若しくは裁判長又は裁判官が付した弁護人を解任することができる。 art-38-3/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1 Where the court finds that any of the following items applies, it may dismiss the defense counsel who was appointed by the court, the presiding judge or a judge: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **一** 第三十条の規定により弁護人が選任されたことその他の事由により弁護人を付する必要がなくなつたとき。 art-38-3/par-1/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1/item-1 it is no longer necessary to appoint defense counsel due to the fact that defense counsel has been appointed pursuant to the provisions of Article 30 or based on other reasons; Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **二** 被告人と弁護人との利益が相反する状況にあり弁護人にその職務を継続させることが相当でないとき。 art-38-3/par-1/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1/item-2 there is a conflict of interests between the defendant and the defense counsel, and it is inappropriate for the defense counsel to continue with its duties; Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "there is a conflict of interests between the accused and the defense counsel, and it is inappropriate for the defense counsel to continue with its duties;" — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb **三** 心身の故障その他の事由により、弁護人が職務を行うことができず、又は職務を行うことが困難となつたとき。 art-38-3/par-1/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1/item-3 the defense counsel is unable to carry out its duties or it has become difficult for the defense counsel to carry out its duties due to a mental or physical disorder or any other reason; Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **四** 弁護人がその任務に著しく反したことによりその職務を継続させることが相当でないとき。 art-38-3/par-1/item-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1/item-4 it is inappropriate to have the defense counsel continue with its duties due to the defense counsel substantially contravening its duties; Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **五** 弁護人に対する暴行、脅迫その他の被告人の責めに帰すべき事由により弁護人にその職務を継続させることが相当でないとき。 art-38-3/par-1/item-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1/item-5 it is inappropriate to have the defense counsel continue with its duties due to assault or intimidation towards the defense counsel or some other cause imputable to the defendant. Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "it is inappropriate to have the defense counsel continue with its duties due to assault or intimidation towards the defense counsel or some other cause imputable to the accused." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb **第二項** 弁護人を解任するには、あらかじめ、その意見を聴かなければならない。 art-38-3/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-2 When dismissing the defense counsel, said defense counsel's opinion must be heard in advance. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第三項** 弁護人を解任するに当たつては、被告人の権利を不当に制限することがないようにしなければならない。 art-38-3/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-3 When dismissing the defense counsel, such dismissal must be conducted so as not to unduly restrict the rights of the defendant. Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "When dismissing the defense counsel, such dismissal must be conducted so as not to unduly restrict the rights of the accused." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb **第四項** 公訴の提起前は、裁判官が付した弁護人の解任は、裁判官がこれを行う。この場合においては、前三項の規定を準用する。 art-38-3/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-4 Prior to the institution of prosecution, the dismissal of the defense counsel appointed by a judge is conducted by a judge. In this case, the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis. Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "Prior to the institution of prosecution, the dismissal of the defense council appointed by a judge is conducted by a judge. In this case, the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb --- ## Cites - art-38-3/par-1/item-1: 第三十条 → 刑事訴訟法 第三十条 (Article 30), art-30 — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-30 - art-38-3/par-4: 前三項 → 刑事訴訟法 第三十八条の三第一項 (Article 38-3, paragraph (1)), art-38-3/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-1 - art-38-3/par-4: 前三項 → 刑事訴訟法 第三十八条の三第二項 (Article 38-3, paragraph (2)), art-38-3/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-2 - art-38-3/par-4: 前三項 → 刑事訴訟法 第三十八条の三第三項 (Article 38-3, paragraph (3)), art-38-3/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-3 ## Cited by 2 provisions cite this one. No official source publishes this direction. - 刑事訴訟法 第三十八条の三第四項 — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/art-38-3/par-4 - 刑事訴訟法 附則第二条第一項（第一条の規定による刑事訴訟法の一部改正に伴う経過措置） — https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-criminal-procedure/suppl-4161-62/art-2/par-1 --- ## Sources - claude-opus-5-5 — Corrections to the Ministry of Justice's English of the Code of Criminal Procedure, written 2026-11-06 - e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 刑事訴訟法 — the text in force from 2026-10-20 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000131/20261020_508AC0000000067), retrieved 2026-11-06 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), Article 38-3, paragraph (1), item (ii) — the Ministry of Justice's English as printed (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb), retrieved 2026-11-06 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), Article 38-3, paragraph (1), item (v) — the Ministry of Justice's English as printed (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb), retrieved 2026-11-06 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), Article 38-3, paragraph (3) — the Ministry of Justice's English as printed (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb), retrieved 2026-11-06 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法), Article 38-3, paragraph (4) — the Ministry of Justice's English as printed (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb), retrieved 2026-11-06 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Criminal Procedure — Ministry of Justice translation (part 1 of 2) (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb), retrieved 2026-11-06 - This site's parser, version 225 — 刑事訴訟法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-11-06