Chapter II Cooperation with the International Criminal Court

Section 2 Provision of Evidence, etc.

Subsection 1 Provision of Evidence

(Measures by the Minister of Justice)
Article 6 (1) Where the Minister of Justice has received documents sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence, when the case does not fall under any of the following items, the Minister of Justice shall take the measures prescribed in the following paragraph or paragraph (3):

(i) when the request for cooperation competes with a request for assistance as prescribed in Article 1, item (i) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters (Act No. 69 of 1980) (hereinafter referred to as "Investigation Assistance" in this item and Article 39, paragraph (1), item (ii)) and, where it is possible to give priority to such request for assistance pursuant to the provisions of the Statute, when the Minister of Justice finds it reasonable to provide said Investigation Assistance;
(ii) when complying with the request for cooperation would result in a breach of any of the obligations under international law prescribed in article 98, paragraph 1 of the Statute;
(iii) when complying with the request for cooperation would prejudice Japan's national security;
(iv) where the offense underlying the cooperation request is an offense prescribed in article 70, paragraph 1 of the Statute, when the act constituting the offense for which assistance is requested would not constitute a crime under the laws and regulations of Japan were it to have been carried out in Japan;
(v) when complying with the request for cooperation would risk obstructing an investigation or trial in a case that is connected with a crime other than the offense underlying the cooperation request, and that is being investigated by a Japanese public prosecutor, public prosecutor's assistant officer, or judicial police official or is pending before a Japanese court, and the Minister of Justice finds it unreasonable to immediately comply with said request; or
(vi) when there are other justifiable grounds for not immediately complying with the request for cooperation.

(2) The measures by the Minister of Justice pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be the measures under any of the following items, except in the case prescribed in the following paragraph:

(i) sending the relevant documents to the Chief Prosecutor of the appropriate District Public Prosecutor's Office and ordering the collection of evidence that is necessary for cooperation through provision of evidence;
(ii) sending documents concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence to the National Public Safety Commission; or
(iii) sending documents concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence to the Commandant of the Japan Coast Guard or to the head of any other national agency to which persons prescribed in Article 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 131 of 1948) who are to exercise the functions of judicial police officials belong.

(3) When the request for cooperation prescribed in paragraph (1) pertains to the provision of documents that are connected with a legal action and that are being retained by a court, a public prosecutor, or a judicial police officer, the Minister of Justice shall send the custodian of such documents the documents concerning the request for cooperation.

(4) When the Minister of Justice finds it necessary in order to take the measures prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs or in order to take other measures concerning cooperation through provision of evidence, he/she may conduct an inquiry into the whereabouts of the person concerned and other necessary matters.


(Measures by the National Public Safety Commission)
Article 7 Upon receiving documents sent under paragraph (2), item (ii) of the preceding Article, the National Public Safety Commission shall send the relevant documents to the appropriate prefectural police headquarters, and shall instruct that headquarters to collect the evidence necessary for cooperation through provision of evidence.


(Implementation of Cooperation)
Article 8 The provisions of Articles 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters shall apply mutatis mutandis to cooperation through provision of evidence based on a request set forth in Article 6, paragraph (1). In this case, the term "Article 5, paragraph (1), item (i)" in Article 7, paragraph (1) of said Act shall be deemed to be replaced with "Article 6, paragraph (2), item (i) of the Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court (Act No. 37 of 2007)," the term "the preceding Article" in paragraph (2) of said Article shall be deemed to be replaced with "Article 7 of the Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court," the term "Article 5, paragraph (1), item (iii)" in paragraph (3) of said Article shall be deemed to be replaced with "Article 6, paragraph (2), item (iii) of the Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court," and the phrase "specifically provided for in this Act" in Article 13 of said Act shall be deemed to be replaced with "provided for in Articles 8, 10, and 12 as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8 of the Act on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court."


(Penal Provisions on the Submission of False Certificates)
Article 9 (1) When a person who has been requested to submit a certificate under the provisions of Article 8, paragraph (3) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding Article has submitted a false certificate, he/she shall be punished by imprisonment with work for up to one year or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.

(2) The provisions of the preceding paragraph shall not apply if the act
constitutes a crime under the Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907) or under Chapter IV.


(Measures Upon Completion of a Disposition, etc.)
Article 10 (1) When the Chief Prosecutor has completed the collection of evidence that is necessary for cooperation through provision of evidence, he/she shall promptly send the collected evidence to the Minister of Justice, with his/her opinion attached thereto. The same shall apply when the head of a national agency provided for in Article 6, paragraph (2), item (iii) has completed the collection of evidence that is necessary for cooperation.

(2) When the Superintendent General of the Metropolitan Police Department or the chief of the Prefectural Police Headquarters has completed the collection of evidence that is necessary for cooperation, the Prefectural Public Safety Commission shall promptly send the collected evidence to the National Public Safety Commission, with its opinion attached thereto.

(3) When the National Public Safety Commission has received the evidence sent thereto under the preceding paragraph, it shall promptly send the same to the Minister of Justice, with its opinion attached thereto.

(4) A custodian of documents that are connected with a legal action who has received documents concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence sent thereto pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (3), shall promptly send the relevant documents in his/her custody or certified copies thereof to the Minister of Justice, with his/her opinion attached thereto; provided, however, that when he/she finds it difficult to immediately send the same, he/she shall promptly notify the Minister of Justice to that effect.


(Conditions for the Provision of Evidence)
Article 11 Where the Minister of Justice will provide the ICC with evidence that has been sent thereto pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), (3) or (4) of the preceding Article, when he/she finds it necessary, he/she shall set conditions concerning the use or return of said evidence.


(Notification of Non-cooperation)
Article 12 After taking measures under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (2), item (ii) or (iii) or paragraph (3) of said Article, when the Minister of Justice finds that the case falls under any of the provisions of paragraph (1), items (i) through (iv) of said Article and decides not to cooperate through provision of evidence, he/she shall notify the person who received the documents that were sent concerning the request for cooperation through provision of evidence to that effect without delay.


(Consultation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc.)
Article 13 (1) The Minister of Justice shall consult with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in advance in a case that falls under any of the following items:

(i) when deciding not to cooperate through provision of evidence, on the basis that the case falls under any of the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1), items (i) through (iii);
(ii) when postponing cooperation through provision of evidence, on the basis that the case falls under either of the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1), item (v) or (vi); or
(iii) when setting the conditions set forth in Article 11.

(2) The provisions of Article 16, paragraph (2) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters shall apply mutatis mutandis to where the Minister of Justice decides to take the measures set forth in any of the items of Article 6, paragraph (2) with regard to a request for cooperation through provision of evidence.

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 3 (Receipt of Requests and Sending of Evidence)

(1) A request for assistance shall be received, and evidence shall be forwarded to the requesting country, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs; except that the Minister of Justice shall carry out these tasks when a treaty confers the authority to receive requests for assistance on the Minister of Justice or when the Minister of Foreign Affairs gives consent in an emergency or under other special circumstances.

(2) When the Minister of Justice receives a request for assistance or forwards evidence to the requesting country pursuant to the proviso of the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Justice may ask the Minister of Foreign Affairs for cooperation necessary for the execution of matters relating to the assistance.

Chapter II Collection of Evidence

Article 5 (Measures to Be Taken by the Minister of Justice)

(1) With respect to a request for assistance in matters other than a transfer of a sentenced inmate for testimony, except where any item in Article 2 (any item in Article 2 or 4 when the Minister of Justice receives a request for assistance pursuant to the proviso of paragraph (1) of Article 3) applies, the Minister of Justice shall, when none of the provisions of the following paragraph applies and the Minister of Justice deems it appropriate to honor the request, take one of the following measures:

(i) Send the related documents to the Chief Prosecutor of an appropriate district public prosecutors office and order the Chief Prosecutor to collect the evidence necessary for assistance;

(ii) Send the documents concerning the request for assistance to the National Public Safety Commission;

(iii) Send the documents concerning the request for assistance to the Commandant of the Japan Coast Guard, or to the head of other national agencies to which judicial police officials belong as provided by Article 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 131 of 1948).

(2) With respect to a request for provision of a document pertaining to the trial which is in the custody of a court, a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer, the Minister of Justice shall send the documents pertaining to the request for assistance to the custodian of the document pertaining to the trial.

(3) The Minister of Justice may conduct an inquiry on the whereabouts of any relevant person and other necessary matters, when the Minister of Justice deems it necessary in order to take the measures provided in paragraph (1) or any other measures relating to the assistance.


Article 6 (Measures to Be Taken by the National Public Safety Commission)

Upon receiving the documents set forth in paragraph (1), item (ii) of Article 5, the National Public Safety Commission shall send the documents concerned to an appropriate Prefectural Police, and instruct it to collect the evidence necessary for the assistance.


Article 7 (Measures to Be Taken by the Chief Prosecutor)

(1) When a Chief Prosecutor receives an order set forth in paragraph (1), item (i) of Article 5, he/she shall have a public prosecutor in the office take measures to collect the evidence necessary for assistance.

(2) When the Superintendent General or the chief of Prefectural Police (hereinafter referred to as "Chief of Police") is instructed pursuant to the provision of Article 6, he/she shall cause a judicial police officer of the Prefectural Police to take the measures set forth in the preceding paragraph.

(3) When the head of a national agency receives the documents set forth in paragraph (1), item (iii) of Article 5, he/she shall have an appropriate judicial police officer of the agency take the measures set forth in paragraph (1).


Article 8 (Measures to Be Taken by a Public Prosecutor)

(1) With regard to the collection of evidence necessary for assistance, a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer may: ask any person concerned to appear before them and interview the person; request an expert opinion; make an inspection; ask the owner, possessor or custodian of a document or other materials to submit it; or ask a public office, or a public or private organization to make reports on necessary matters.

(2) With regard to the collection of evidence necessary for assistance, a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer may, if it is deemed to be necessary, undertake seizure, search, or inspection of evidence, upon a warrant issued by a judge.

(3) A public prosecutor or a judicial police officer may, when the evidence to be collected pursuant to the preceding two paragraphs is a business document or item (hereinafter in this paragraph refers to a document or any other item that is prepared or retained in the course of business) and a request for assistance in certification regarding the manner of preparation and retention of such business document or item has been made, request the person who has prepared or retained such business document or item, or any other person who is deemed to have professional knowledge regarding its preparation or retention, to submit a certificate of the matters asked for in the request.

(4) When requesting submission of a certificate pursuant to the provision of the preceding paragraph, a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer shall notify the person whom they have asked for a certificate that submission of a false certificate may result in criminal punishment.

(5) A public prosecutor or a judicial police officer may have a public prosecutor's assistant officer or a judicial police official take the measures set forth in paragraphs (1) to (3) inclusive.

Chapter II Collection of Evidence

Article 14 (Measures upon Completion of Disposition)

(1) When the Chief Prosecutor has completed the collection of evidence necessary for the assistance, he/she shall promptly send the collected evidence with his/her opinion attached, to the Minister of Justice. When the head of a national agency set forth in paragraph (1), item (iii) of Article 5 has completed the collection of evidence, the same shall apply.

(2) When a Chief of Police has completed the collection of evidence necessary for the assistance, the Prefectural Public Safety Commission shall promptly send the collected evidence with its opinion attached, to the National Public Safety Commission.

(3) Upon receiving the evidence pursuant to the provision set forth in the preceding paragraph, the National Public Safety Commission shall promptly send the evidence with its opinion attached, to the Minister of Justice.

(4) The custodian of a document relating to the trial who has received the documents concerning a request for assistance pursuant to the provision of paragraph (2) of Article 5, shall promptly send the document or a certified transcript thereof with his/her opinion attached, to the Minister of Justice; but when he/she is unable to do so, he/she shall return the documents concerning the request for assistance to the Minister of Justice.

(5) When, after receiving the evidence set forth in paragraph (1), (3), or the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Justice deems it to be necessary, he/she shall determine conditions that the requesting country shall observe with respect to the use or return of the evidence.

(6) When the requesting country does not assure that it will observe the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Justice shall not provide the assistance.