Former justice minister calls for independent probe into Japan public prosecutors
A succession of recent scandals has shown the service can no longer be trusted to investigate itself, lawmaker Masako Mori said.
Former Justice Minister Masako Mori has requested an independent investigation into Japan's public prosecutor's offices, citing a series of recent scandals that suggest the system cannot be relied upon to self-regulate. At a recent speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Mori emphasized that these incidents—ranging from sexual assault to the fabrication of evidence—are not isolated cases but indicative of deeper institutional problems within a powerful organization that controls final say over prosecutions.
Mori, who held the justice minister position from 2019 to 2020 and now serves as a member of the Upper House, leads a coalition of lawmakers advocating for the creation of an independent third-party committee within the Justice Ministry and the country's prosecutorial agencies. This committee aims to conduct an investigation and effect reforms within the prosecution service. The group submitted a proposal to the Justice Ministry on July 16.
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