# 刑事訴訟法 / Code of Criminal Procedure — 第三章 (Part 1, Chapter 3)

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- 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: 第三章 (Part 1, Chapter 3) — address `pt-1/ch-3`
- Text: the text as amended with effect from 2027-07-23 (On a day set by Cabinet Order, no later than 23 July 2027 — the amending law allows up to one year from promulgation. The exact day is not fixed yet.), standing until 2028-05-15 as now scheduled, since the next amendment's day is not fixed — NOT yet in force (revision 20270723_508AC0000000067)
- URL (this text's page, at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3
- The same address in the text in force (its wording there may differ): https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/pt-1/ch-3
- Every provision below carries its address and its place on this text's page 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.
The Ministry's English is given only where this text's Japanese is a wording
the Ministry translated — the same as the text in force, or for a text not yet
in force, a wording it translated ahead; every other paragraph's English is
machine translation.

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## 第三章　訴訟能力 — Chapter III Competence to Stand Trial
<sup>heading: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>pt-1/ch-3 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3</sup>

### 第二十七条
<sup>art-27 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-27</sup>

  **第一項**  被告人又は被疑者が法人であるときは、その代表者が、訴訟行為についてこれを代表する。
  <sup>art-27/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-27/par-1</sup>
  When the defendant or the suspect is a legal person, its representative represents it with regard to a procedural action.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "When the accused or the suspect is a legal person, its representative represents it with regard to a procedural action." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb</sup>

  **第二項**  数人が共同して法人を代表する場合にも、訴訟行為については、各自が、これを代表する。
  <sup>art-27/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-27/par-2</sup>
  When a legal person is represented by two or more persons jointly, each person represents it with regard to a procedural action.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

### 第二十八条
<sup>art-28 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-28</sup>

  **第一項**  刑法（明治四十年法律第四十五号）第三十九条又は第四十一条の規定を適用しない罪に当たる事件について、被告人又は被疑者が意思能力を有しないときは、その法定代理人（二人以上あるときは、各自。以下同じ。）が、訴訟行為についてこれを代理する。
  <sup>art-28/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-28/par-1</sup>
  When the defendant or the suspect lacks mental capacity regarding a case to which the provisions of Article 39 or 41 of the Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907) do not apply, said person's legal representative (when there are two or more legal representatives, respectively; the same applies hereinafter) represents said person with regard to procedural actions.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "When the accused or the suspect lacks mental capacity regarding a case to which the provisions of Article 39 or 41 of the Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907) do not apply, said person's legal representative (when there are two or more legal representative, respectively; the same applies hereinafter) represents said person with regard to procedural actions.." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb</sup>

### 第二十九条
<sup>art-29 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-29</sup>

  **第一項**  前二条の規定により被告人を代表し、又は代理する者がないときは、検察官の請求により又は職権で、特別代理人を選任しなければならない。
  <sup>art-29/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-29/par-1</sup>
  When, pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two Articles, there is no one to represent the defendant, the court must, upon the request of a public prosecutor or ex officio, appoint a special representative.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "When, pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two Articles, there is no one to represent the accused, the court must, upon the request of a public prosecutor or ex officio, appoint a special representative." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb</sup>

  **第二項**  前二条の規定により被疑者を代表し、又は代理する者がない場合において、検察官、司法警察員又は利害関係人の請求があつたときも、前項と同様である。
  <sup>art-29/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-29/par-2</sup>
  When, pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two Articles, there is no one to represent the suspect, the court must, upon the request of a public prosecutor, judicial police officer or an interested party, appoint a special representative.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **第三項**  特別代理人は、被告人又は被疑者を代表し又は代理して訴訟行為をする者ができるまで、その任務を行う。
  <sup>art-29/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-29/par-3</sup>
  The special representative carries out the relevant duties until another person is able to represent the defendant or the suspect with regard to procedural actions.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation with a slip corrected by this site — not the Ministry's text; the Ministry printed: "The special representative carries out the relevant duties until another person is able to represent the accused or the suspect with regard to procedural actions." — https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3739/tb</sup>

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## Cites
- art-28/par-1: 刑法（明治四十年法律第四十五号）第三十九条 → 刑法 第三十九条 (Article 39), art-39 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/penal-code/art-39 (e-Gov law ID 140AC0000000045)
- art-28/par-1: 第四十一条 → 刑法 第四十一条 (Article 41), art-41 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/penal-code/art-41 (e-Gov law ID 140AC0000000045)
- art-29/par-1: 前二条 → 刑事訴訟法 第二十七条 (Article 27), art-27 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-27
- art-29/par-1: 前二条 → 刑事訴訟法 第二十八条 (Article 28), art-28 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-28
- art-29/par-2: 前二条 → 刑事訴訟法 第二十七条 (Article 27), art-27 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-27
- art-29/par-2: 前二条 → 刑事訴訟法 第二十八条 (Article 28), art-28 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-28
- art-29/par-2: 前項 → 刑事訴訟法 第二十九条第一項 (Article 29, paragraph (1)), art-29/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-criminal-procedure/amendments/20270723_508AC0000000067/text/pt-1/ch-3#art-29/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 as 令和八年法律第六十七号 leaves it, from a date not yet fixed (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000131/20270723_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 27, paragraph (1) — 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 28, paragraph (1) — 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 29, paragraph (1) — 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 29, 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 — 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