When I read your comment, the first thing that popped in my mind is: "Welcome to Japan".For a country as advanced…
It is not ignorance. I am happy that you pointed it out, because it shows how messed up the Japanese legal system is. Remember that in the real world , there are no Iruma's so you can imagine how many innocent people are doing time because of extortion of the police and prosecution.
That said, even though the legal system is flawed. It does work somehow, because crime rates in Japan are incredibly low. But I am not sure whether that is a consequence of their legal system or the Japanese mentality.
After reading these articles, you will understand the debate during the high schoolers' visit between ML and FL in episode 1. You will understand why the Chief is so proud to have overturned 30 trials, which is highly unlikely with the 99% conviction rate. He basically saved 30 innocent people. You will also understand why the Chief told the ML that as a judge he can change the world - it makes sense if you read my articles. And you will understand what Iruma meant with "be like Einstein": to doubt common sense (i.e. the 99% conviction rate) to find the truth.
It is also ridiculous that there is something as a single-judge system... But you will understand why they only need one judge to issue a verdict, as the task is almost administrative when it reaches the trial stage... Anyways that is a discussion for another time ;-)
If you loved E3, don't read my review. It is highly critical & looks at the show from my own understanding & experience…
When I read your comment, the first thing that popped in my mind is: "Welcome to Japan".
For a country as advanced as Japan, it has an almost medieval legal system. If you watched episode 1, you will hear Chizuru say that a trial will only take place if there is enough evidence. Hence, Japan's 99% conviction rate. If you know anything of statistics, you will know that 99% is very high. Nonetheless, there are a lot of cases each year in Japan, which is not logical as only sure-fire convictions makes it to trial. In other words, there is a good chance that evidence is made up to achieve a higher conviction probability. On the other hand, due to this system, the defense lawyer is basically useless. Once it approaches trial, a conviction is almost guaranteed and fighting against it is almost impossible. A defense lawyer is there to negotiate a lower sentence and not to fight for the innocence of the client.
You need to understand the cultural nuances to appreciate this drama. The show is actually a critical voice towards the high conviction rate. It shows that the Japanese system is flawed and prone to collusion, fabrication and simply fraud.
Many people have asked for a reform of the criminal justice system in Japan. A few years ago, this even achieved international attention with the case of Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn.
This old article explains this shocking phenomena of innocent people confessing: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20810572. They basically go through the database of ex-convicts, hold them in an inhumanly long detention, interview suspects behind closed doors without an attorney and then force a confession. In episode 3, the alleged culprit was an ex-convict who confessed. The case was crystal clear, until the ML and the chief stepped in to dispute the facts.
Anyways, read the article. It is very interesting and also goes in on the limited investigative authority of the police and why they rely so much on confessions to build their case.
That said, even though the legal system is flawed. It does work somehow, because crime rates in Japan are incredibly low. But I am not sure whether that is a consequence of their legal system or the Japanese mentality.
If you are interested in the Japanese legal system, I also recommend you to read these articles:
- A few years ago, the Minister of Justice wrote an op-ed to defend the system. See here: https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Japan-s-justice-minister-Carlos-Ghosn-fled-a-fair-trial
- This article in the New York Times on why the Nissan Chairman was afraid to be trialed in Japan is also interesting: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/16/opinion/carlos-ghosn-japan.html
After reading these articles, you will understand the debate during the high schoolers' visit between ML and FL in episode 1. You will understand why the Chief is so proud to have overturned 30 trials, which is highly unlikely with the 99% conviction rate. He basically saved 30 innocent people. You will also understand why the Chief told the ML that as a judge he can change the world - it makes sense if you read my articles. And you will understand what Iruma meant with "be like Einstein": to doubt common sense (i.e. the 99% conviction rate) to find the truth.
It is also ridiculous that there is something as a single-judge system... But you will understand why they only need one judge to issue a verdict, as the task is almost administrative when it reaches the trial stage... Anyways that is a discussion for another time ;-)
For a country as advanced as Japan, it has an almost medieval legal system. If you watched episode 1, you will hear Chizuru say that a trial will only take place if there is enough evidence. Hence, Japan's 99% conviction rate. If you know anything of statistics, you will know that 99% is very high. Nonetheless, there are a lot of cases each year in Japan, which is not logical as only sure-fire convictions makes it to trial. In other words, there is a good chance that evidence is made up to achieve a higher conviction probability. On the other hand, due to this system, the defense lawyer is basically useless. Once it approaches trial, a conviction is almost guaranteed and fighting against it is almost impossible. A defense lawyer is there to negotiate a lower sentence and not to fight for the innocence of the client.
You need to understand the cultural nuances to appreciate this drama. The show is actually a critical voice towards the high conviction rate. It shows that the Japanese system is flawed and prone to collusion, fabrication and simply fraud.
Many people have asked for a reform of the criminal justice system in Japan. A few years ago, this even achieved international attention with the case of Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn.
This old article explains this shocking phenomena of innocent people confessing: https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20810572. They basically go through the database of ex-convicts, hold them in an inhumanly long detention, interview suspects behind closed doors without an attorney and then force a confession. In episode 3, the alleged culprit was an ex-convict who confessed. The case was crystal clear, until the ML and the chief stepped in to dispute the facts.
Anyways, read the article. It is very interesting and also goes in on the limited investigative authority of the police and why they rely so much on confessions to build their case.