The Japanese Legal System

Meryll Dean's superb new edition of Japanese Legal System provides a wide-ranging and unique insight into the legal system of a country which is at the forefront of global development, yet rarely examined by legal scholars. It is a major contribution to the study of comparative law and through its multidisciplinary approach breaks new ground in providing a comprehensive text on the subject. It draws on the author's first hand knowledge of Japan, but is written for non-Japanese speakers.; Through its approachable yet scholarly style, the reader is introduced to the essentials of the legal system, and guided through historical and cultural context; from which they will be able to develop an informed critique.; The book covers the history, structure and tradition of the Japanese legal system, as well as providing an insight into areas of substantive law. It contains extracts from diverse contemporary sources which, together with the author's commentary, guide the reader through the complexities of a different culture.The use of multidisciplinary sources, which are contextualised by the author, make what would otherwise be inaccessible material available for comparative analysis.; This book may be used as a textbook for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It will be useful for those engaged in the study of history, politics, international relations and law, as well as being of value to academics, practitioners and those in business

This casebook on Japanese Law has been specially designed for ease of use and theoretical versatility. Heavily-edited cases, statutes, and articles canvass a wide range of intriguing problems and theoretical perspectives. Professors will find that it facilitates a variety of analysis and approaches to a given question--whether sociological, anthropological, or based on law and economics. The book allows for in-depth coverage of a diverse range of substantive areas of law, from torts, criminal law, and contracts to employment and corporate law.

The Japanese Legal System by Professors Colin P.A. Jones and Frank S. Ravitch provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Japan's system of law and government available in English. Focusing on practical aspects of the subject, it covers the law-making process, constitutional theory and reality, the civil, criminal and administrative justice systems, the environment of business law and regulation and the Japanese legal professions. Importantly, it also provides a context for understanding the Japanese legal system in readily comprehensible terms, including historical background and the different (compared to the United States and other common law systems) role and organization of the courts as part of an overall system of government.

Trial by jury is not a fundamental part of the Japanese legal system, but there has been a recent important move towards this with the introduction in 2009 of the lay assessor system whereby lay people sit with judges in criminal trials. This book considers the debates in Japan which surround this development. It examines the political and socio-legal contexts, contrasting the view that the participation of ordinary citizens in criminal trials is an important manifestation of democracy, with the view that Japan as a society where authority is highly venerated is not natural territory for a system where lay people are likely to express views at odds with expert judges. It discusses Japan’s earlier experiments with jury trials in the late 19th Century, the period 1923-43, and up to 1970 in US-controlled Okinawa, compares developing views in Japan on this issue with views in other countries, where dissatisfaction with the jury system is often evident, and concludes by assessing how the new system in Japan is working out and how it is likely to develop.

This book presents the only English language, up-to-date, and comprehensive reference to Japanese law. It covers a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals of the Japanese legal system, to the Civil Code which is the cornerstone of private law in Japan and business related laws in a comprehensive manner. The author presents the current state of Japanese law in operation by referring to numerous cases and the latest discussions. Since the last edition in 1999, Japanese Law, in almost every area, has undergone substantial reform, all of which is reflected in the new text. In particular, the new edition contains the first comprehensive analysis of the new Company Law and the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law. This makes this book an essential reference work for all who have an interest in Japanese law.

This is the updated and substantially enlarged edition of Japanese Law originally published in 1992, which was acclaimed for being the first comprehensive study of Japanese law to be published in English by a Japanese academic. The book covers the entire range of Japanese law with an emphasison commercial law covering such topics as the reform of the company law, internationalization of competition law, and the financial 'Big Bang', and cross-border litigation. Bridging the gap between the law in statute books and the actual implementation in practice, the book incorporates all of the most recent case law as well as reflecting on current debates in legal academic discourse in Japan.

A careful analysis of Japan's dealings with its legal system through a time of unprecedented change (1868- 1960). A must for scholars of Japanese studies, historians and jurists alike.