Topics in Japanese Law

Colin JONES (School of Law and Politics)

Goal of Class
   This course will approach Japanese law primarily from an American perspective, while trying to provide both a comparative view of the subject together with a substantive overview of certain key areas.

Requirement / Prerequisite
   There are no specific pre-requisites for the course, though students will be assumed to have a basic knowledge of the Japanese constitution and legal system. The classes will be conducted in English, and most or all materials will be in English, so an ability to read and understand English is important. Classroom discussions will also be conducted in English.

Course Syllabus
   The course will examine the Japanese legal system primarily from an American perspective. It will look at certain specific aspects of the system (the new saiban'in system, certain specific areas of substantive law) from a variety of perspectives. Comparisons to the US system and that of other countries will be used to illustrate different ways of viewing the Japanese system.
  
   Week 1: Introduction
   Week 2-3: What is law and who is it for?
   Week 4-5: The legal professions
   Week 6: The Judiciary
   Week 7: Constitutions
   Week 8: What does "citizen participation" mean?
   Week 9-10: Family Law
   Week 11-14: Other areas of law (depending upon area of student interest)
   Week 15: Final papers due/exam

Textbooks
  There is no text for the course. Materials, in the form of academic papers, government reports, and court decisions, will be provided.

Grading Policy
  The class is based on participation, and is open to both graduate and undergraduate students.