The Supreme Court and Benign Elite Democracy in Japan

361 Pages·2010·4.246 MB·English

by  Hiroshi Itoh

The Supreme Court and
Benign Elite Democracy in Japan
Hiroshi Itoh
The Supreme CourT and Benign
eliTe demoCraCy in Japan
To Nobu, dedicated researcher
The Supreme Court and Benign
elite democracy in Japan
hiroShi iToh
State University of New York at Plattsburgh, USA
© hiroshi itoh 2010
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher.
hiroshi itoh has asserted his right under the Copyright, designs and patents act, 1988, to
be identified as the author of this work.
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
itoh, hiroshi.
The Supreme Court and benign elite democracy in Japan.
1. Japan. Saiko Saibansho. 2. Constitutional law--Japan.
3. Judicial process--Japan.
i. Title
347.5'2035-dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
itoh, hiroshi.
The Supreme Court and benign elite democracy in Japan / by hiroshi itoh.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-7546-7603-4 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-4094-0774-4
(ebook) 1. Japan. Saiko Saibansho. 2. Judicial process--Japan. 3. Japan--Politics and
government--1945- i. Title.
KnX1586.i88 2010
347.52'012--dc22
2010004870
ISBN 9780754676034 (hbk)
ISBN 9781409407744 (ebk)
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables ix
Foreword by David S. Law xi
Acknowledgements xiii
List of Abbreviations xv
introduction 1
1 elite governance in Japan 7
2 Judicial Decision-Making 39
3 Judicial Impact and Feedback 85
4 Judicial attitudes on the grand Bench 115
5 Judicial attributes of Justices 197
6 Judicial role of the Supreme Court 241
Conclusions 275
Appendix 1 – A List of Cases Cited 283
Appendix 2 – A List of Supreme Court Justices, 1947–2009 295
Appendix 3 – The Constitution of Japan 315
Appendix 4 – Court Structures in Civil and Criminal Proceedings 329
Bibliography 331
Index 339
This page has been left blank intentionally
list of Figures
4.1 Linkage analysis of the Mano Court (2) 174
4.2 Smallest space diagram of the Mano Court (2) 175
4.3 Smallest space diagram of the Mano Court (2) 175
4.4 Smallest space diagram of the Mano Court (2) 176
4.5 Linkage analysis of the K. Tanaka Court (1) 178
4.6 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (1) 179
4.7 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (1) 179
4.8 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (1) 180
4.9 Linkage analysis of the K. Tanaka Court (2) 181
4.10 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (2) 182
4.11 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (2) 182
4.12 Smallest space diagram of the K. Tanaka Court (2) 183
4.13 Linkage analysis of the Okuno Court (1) 183
4.14 Smallest space diagram of the Okuno Court (1) 184
4.15 Linkage analysis of M. Yokota Court (2) 185
4.16 Smallest space diagram of the M.Yokota Court (2) 185
4.17 Linkage analysis of the J. Tanaka Court 186
4.18 Smallest space diagram of the J. Tanaka Court 187
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list of Tables
4.1 Types of divided and unanimous constitutional
decisions (1947–1973) 120
4.2 Propensity of divided constitutional decisions (1947–1973) 171
4.3 abolition of penalties 190
4.4 Constitutional rights of individuals on trial 192
4.5 Socio-political decisions 194
4.6 Socio-economic decisions 195
6.1 activism and restraint 242
6.2 Constitutional litigations in the petty benches (1947–1999) 264