TOKYO: Japan will promote digital reform of civil judicial procedures in a way that will broadly benefit the population, including those not used to information technology devices, Supreme Court Chief Justice Naoto Otani said.

Otani made the remark at the time when the Diet, Japan’s parliament, is expected to enact a bill shortly to entirely digitalize the country’s court administration for civil trials, from suit filing to judgment.

“Promoting digital reform will be an opportunity to greatly change the way courts are operated. It’s important to consider the matter in line with the needs of users,” Otani told a press conference ahead of Constitution Memorial Day on Tuesday.

“We’ll work to make judicial procedures more user-friendly while turning our eyes to the reality of society and digital technology trends,” the chief justice said.

Otani also discussed the revised juvenile law, which was put into force last month and lowered the minimum age eligible for serving as lay judge from 20 to 18.

The lower minimum age will lead to a wide range of perspectives and sensibilities being reflected in trials, Otani said.

JIJI Press