The Justice Ministry plans a major review of Japan's century-old penal system in a bid to bring prison terms and the punishment for commercial crimes more in line with current judicial values.
A major issue expected to be taken up in the proposed penal review includes lengthening the maximum prison term a judge can hand a criminal short of a death sentence.
The Justice Ministry, which has asked for a 4.5 million yen budget in fiscal 2001 to fund the study, also plans to review the penal system for the rising number of commercial crimes that have hit the nation in an increasingly deregulated economy.