Quote:
Originally Posted by GoNative
What do you think are the good sides about the Japanese legal system? The low crime rates in Japan are much more to do with social conditioning than the courts in my opinion. The lack of crime is one of the best things about living in Japan but I don't credit that to the police or legal system at all. I find it hard to think of any redeeming points for either institution.
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It's interesting that you mention the low crime rate as being a part of social conditioning, rather than down to the police or legal system, I hadn't actually considered that. I personally assumed that the seemingly harsh sentences acted as a deterrent to potential criminals. I mean the sentences here are so lax, you can get around seven years in prison for murder, three for violent rapes, and crime rates seem to be getting higher and higher . . . I always admired Japan (and the US) for their strict laws and longer sentences.
I can't go into huge details about the pros and cons, as unfortunately I'm not too well versed in the details, but - from what I've seen - the good sides would be the stricter sentences, lower crime rates, and some of their general laws. I like that guns are illegal, for example, but then dislike the use of capital punishment. In the media the police seem fair, there's a distinct lack of violence, and people seem to be allowed basic rights to protest, so the police don't appear to take away the rights of the individual and try to protect those rights. There also seems to be more police on the beat, more walking the streets and police kiosks and stations in easy to find places, and - in a country where seeing a policeman once in a month is cause for surprise - it's nice to see policemen as a part of the commuinity and a visible presence.
I guess those points are more to do with the police than the laws/courts, and probably a bit trivial in the scheme of things, but I do think they provide a nice silver lining to some otherwise less positive sides to the legal system.