On October 4, 2002, the JCLU submitted its Opinion Regarding the Reformation of the Administrative Litigation SystemE(the OpinionE to the Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, as head of the Office for Promotion of Judicial System Reform, and Mr. Hiroshi Shiono, chairman of the Committee on Administrative Litigation organized in the Office.
Firstly, the Opinion recommends the adoption of the amicus curiae system. Amicus curiae is important in administrative litigation because of the tendency of such litigation to have far-reaching effects beyond that on the plaintiffs. Amicus curiae can also assist the plaintiffs who tend to have less resources than the administrative bodies in collecting evidence.
Secondly, the Opinion recommends the introduction of in-camera proceedings. In-camera proceedings were not adopted by the present Information Disclosure Law because of opposing voices that such proceedings may conflict with Article 82 of the Constitution which guarantees public trial. The JCLU argues, however, that such a conflict would not arise as long as the content of the trials is disclosed.
The full text of the opinion (available in Japanese only) can be accessed at the JCLUs website or obtained upon request to the Secretariat of the JCLU. class = "footer" Translated by Yumiko Ichige