Out of Court Disposals of Criminal Cases for Prevention of Reoffending

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03425
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Criminal law
• Research Institution: Hitotsubashi University
• Principal Investigator: KUZUNO Hiroyuki 一橋大学, 大学院法学研究科, 教授 (90221928)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 再犯防止 / 検察官 / 訴追裁量 / 起訴猶予 / 刑事弁護 / 宣告猶予 / 入口支援

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, the public prosecutors have used their discretional power not to prosecute the suspects (Art. 248 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) to promote the effect to prevent reoffending. Public prosecutors often urge or persuade the suspects to take part in the programs afforded by the welfare institutions before or after they decide not to prosecute. This study criticize this practice because it conflicts the fundamental rules of criminal justice such as presumption of innocence, due process protection, as well as basic role of public prosecutors. This study argues that criminal justice system does not use the prosecutors' discretional power not to prosecute in connection with the measures to prevent reoffending and that new legislation is needed to introduce suspension of sentencing by the courts, separation of trial procedure and sentencing procedure and resentence report system.

Free Research Field

刑事法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は（1）再犯防止措置と結びつけた起訴猶予の積極活用が、刑事手続の基本構造・基本原則との矛盾をはらむことを指摘した点、（2）この積極活用が、弁護人の役割に複雑で解決困難な問題を投げかけ、当事者主義に立った弁護の高度化を抑制しうることを指摘した点、（3）福祉的支援につなぐための刑事手続からの早期離脱は、起訴後、裁判所の判断によるべきとし、刑の宣告猶予制度の導入を提案した点、において学術的意義を有している。