As the number of aspiring lawyers and other legal professionals decreased, a seminar was held to get young people interested in the work of criminal justice, and lawyers and judges talked about the rewarding and appealing aspects of their work.
It was planned by a volunteer group of lawyers, and about 50 people, including high school and university students, gathered at the venue in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.
At the seminar, in addition to active judges and lawyers, former prosecutors, prison officers, and probation officers took the stage to talk about what motivates them in their work.
After this, participants were divided into groups and exchanged opinions, and the participants asked the judge questions about what it was necessary to make a neutral judgment in the trial.
In response, the male judge replied, "It is necessary to listen carefully to the defendant and look at the evidence from a different perspective than the investigative agency, because it is not possible to wrongly convict an innocent person."
A female high school student who participated said, "I was interested in lawyers, but it was nice to hear about the various jobs that lead to the reintegration of people who have committed crimes."
The number of people taking the bar exam has declined for seven consecutive years, with more than 3000,300 last year, more than 7 fewer than the previous year, which was the lowest ever.
Akihide Kumada, Representative Director of the Association for Legal Education and Support, who hosted the seminar, said, "We held the seminar with a sense of crisis that the number of human resources who support the foundation of the Japan of democracy would decrease, and we would like to expand these initiatives nationwide."