The Justice Ministry's Legislative Council on Thursday proposed that prosecutors be conditionally allowed to attend family court hearings in serious juvenile crimes.
In the report, submitted to Justice Minister Shozaburo Nakamura, the council also proposed that three judges per case be allowed in juvenile trials instead of one, as under the current system.
The council endorsed a draft report on changing hearing procedures compiled by the Juvenile Law Committee, a subgroup of the council, in December. A member of the council who is backed by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, which opposes the proposed revisions, criticized Thursday's proposal package as not in the interest of juveniles and voted against the changes at the day's meeting.