# Public prosecutor (検察官, けんさつかん)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/public-prosecutor. 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.

- Group: Institutions, offices and documents
- URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/public-prosecutor
- In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/public-prosecutor
- Written by: claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-11

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 for this site by an AI model from the provisions and pages it cites. Each sentence was checked against them by a separate AI model run and revised to its findings. Not reviewed by a lawyer.

## Provisions and sources it draws on

- [Code of Criminal Procedure, Arts. 247, 248](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000131)
- [Public Prosecutors Office Act, Arts. 1, 4, 6](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/322AC0000000061)

## Where the laws use it

20 laws in force use it in this sense, in 92 provisions; there the word opens this explanation.

- [Act on the Punishment of Acts of Photographing Sexual Poses, etc. and the Erasure, etc. of Electronic or Magnetic Records of Images of Sexual Poses Recorded on Seized Articles (性的な姿態を撮影する行為等の処罰及び押収物に記録された性的な姿態の影像に係る電磁的記録の消去等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/sexual-image-filming-act): 27 provisions, among them [Article 10](https://japanlaw.org/en/sexual-image-filming-act/art-10), [Article 11](https://japanlaw.org/en/sexual-image-filming-act/art-11), [Article 11-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/sexual-image-filming-act/art-11-2)
- [Civil Code (民法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code): 20 provisions, among them [Article 7](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-7), [Article 10](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-10), [Article 11](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-11)
- [Unfair Competition Prevention Act (不正競争防止法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act): 8 provisions, among them [Article 23](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act/art-23), [Article 24](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act/art-24), [Article 25](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act/art-25)
- [Act on General Rules for National Taxes (国税通則法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-tax-general-rules-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 155](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-tax-general-rules-act/art-155), [Article 156](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-tax-general-rules-act/art-156), [Article 157](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-tax-general-rules-act/art-157)
- [Local Tax Act (地方税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 22-26](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-22-26), [Article 22-27](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-22-27), [Article 22-28](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-22-28)
- [Family Register Act (戸籍法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/family-register-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 24](https://japanlaw.org/en/family-register-act/art-24), [Article 44](https://japanlaw.org/en/family-register-act/art-44), [Article 73](https://japanlaw.org/en/family-register-act/art-73)
- [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 88-13](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-88-13), [Article 100-9](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-100-9), [Article 100-10](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-100-10)
- [Act on Building Unit Ownership (建物の区分所有等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 49-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act/art-49-4), [Article 55-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act/art-55-4), [Article 55-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act/art-55-5)
- [Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 63](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-63), [Article 64](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-64)
- [Medical Care Act (医療法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 56-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-56-4), [Article 56-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-56-5)
- [National Health Insurance Act (国民健康保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-health-insurance-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 32-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-health-insurance-act/art-32-5), [Article 32-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-health-insurance-act/art-32-6)
- [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 826](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-826)
- [Act on the Protection of Personal Information (個人情報の保護に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 124](https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-124)
- [Rules for Organization of Regional Immigration Services Bureaus (地方出入国在留管理局組織規則)](https://japanlaw.org/en/regional-immigration-services-bureau-organization-rules): 1 provision, among them [Article 8](https://japanlaw.org/en/regional-immigration-services-bureau-organization-rules/art-8)
- [The Constitution of Japan (日本国憲法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution): 1 provision, among them [Article 77](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution/art-77)
- [Code of Civil Procedure (民事訴訟法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-civil-procedure): 1 provision, among them [Article 189](https://japanlaw.org/en/code-of-civil-procedure/art-189)
- [Civil Mediation Act (民事調停法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-mediation-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 36](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-mediation-act/art-36)
- [Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds (犯罪による収益の移転防止に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/criminal-proceeds-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 13](https://japanlaw.org/en/criminal-proceeds-act/art-13)
- [Administrative Complaint Review Act (行政不服審査法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-complaint-review-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 7](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-complaint-review-act/art-7)
- [Administrative Procedure Act (行政手続法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-procedure-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-procedure-act/art-3)

## Related

- [Complaint (告訴, こくそ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/criminal-complaint)

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## Sources

- Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-11)
- Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text
- English names of the laws: Written for this site with AI
- English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (17 records)
- English names of the laws: Written for this site with AI