https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/criminal-law/Recent content in Criminal Law on ExcellentWiki - Legal EncyclopediaHugoen-USTue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/criminal-law/japan-criminal-law/Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/criminal-law/japan-criminal-law/<h2 id="overview-of-japanese-criminal-law">Overview of Japanese Criminal Law</h2> <p>Japanese substantive criminal law is codified in the <strong>Penal Code</strong> (<em>Keihō</em>, Law No. 45 of 1907), extensively amended, with major reforms in 2017 and 2023 addressing sexual offences. The Code reflects German civil-law doctrinal structure, while criminal procedure (governed by the <strong>Code of Criminal Procedure</strong>, Law No. 131 of 1948) bears a strong American post-war overlay. The <strong>Constitution</strong> (1947) provides fundamental guarantees: <em>nulla poena sine lege</em> (Article 31), the privilege against self-incrimination (Article 38), and the prohibition of double jeopardy (Article 39).</p>