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© KYODOJapan to introduce GPS trackers to prevent international bail jumping
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asusa tabi
it seems very bleak for gaijin "not-yet-confirmed-criminals". from what you read about Japan's justice system: they can keep you on ice indefinitely, as long as they want, they never ever lose a case, and now on top of that, you have to spend the rest of your life wearing a gps tracker
lunatic
Now there's no fear of escape.
They can't put you on detention for 150 days like they did to Ghosn.
This is the end of the hostage justice.
Yubaru
GPS tracking capability has been around for a very long time. About time Japan caught up with the rest of the developed world!
dagon
"Therefore the trackers must be embedded subcutaneously, preferably near major arteries to ensure security" said the Justice Minister.
OssanAmerica
Saw this comming. Thanks to Ghosn, every foreigner in Japan is now going to be considered a flight risk. And yet there are those still rooting for this multimillionaire fugitive from justice. SMH....
Fredrik
They are going to implant these devices? And if you leave leave the country, why not have them detonate a small explosive?
ballsahoy
Isn’t the whole point of haik money that will prevent you from fleeing?
Make it higher then.
M3M3M3
Fake quote. Should be deleted.
aaronagstring
I think dagon was being sarcastic……
Gobshite
Easy to cut off I suspect. More non news from Japan inc
nishikat
Japan or any country is a mixed bag. A lot of Ghosn fans think Nissan paid the police to get Ghosn out of the way for business purposes. They believe the criminal system in Japan is worse than North Korea's. They can think that if they wish. But if Ghosn had just gone through the system he would be a free man now (even long before now) and don't forget he has legal problems in other countries. Japan's punishments are actually quite light compared to other countries'. If Ghosn had done the same crime in the USA (similar to the ex Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski) he would have faced a much harsher punishment under the US's federal system. Please remember there are a lot of millionaire gaijin living in Japan and they have no problems here with the legal system.
Sanjinosebleed
How about they create a fair judicial system instead!? Three judges who jump when the man says jump are not impartial!
Meiyouwenti
Ghosn. It took me a couple of nano seconds to remember who he was. If he hadn’t jumped bail and fled to Lebanon, he would most likely have been given a suspended sentence and be a free man now. Escaping from justice is always a bad idea.
Mark
Mr. Ghosn gave the justice system plenty of time to INDICT him and when he felt it is time to leave he did.
James
Wrong. Every foreigner in Japan is already considered a flight risk and that was long before Ghosn ever entered the picture.
Wrong they only give suspended sentences to Japanese unless your actually innoncent then they charge you with one count anyway, Ghosn was going to jail no doubt about it.
Makoto Shimizu
GPS Tracking devices are used in Brazil but there are several cases of getting rid of them, battery exhaustion, etc. Authorities would need dedicated resources and staff 7 days a week 24 hours a day and prompt response to any suspicious event. Too expensive and hard to make it effective.
OssanAmerica
Whatever changes should be made to the Japanese justice system, Ghosn's actions and the horde cheering him on, has reduced the chances of desireable changes being made. Blatantly violating Japan's laws while in Japan is not the way to bring about any positive change, only negative.
Yrral
Japan do own a real GPS system,they use US GPS system,with their satellite GPS QZS GPS system,I know where their orbit are ,one is stationary over Australia and Tokyo
Paul
Some people here are not comprehending the article, but making FAKE conclusions.
James
You do realise that the only guilty party was Hari Nada the guy spear headed everything committed numerous crimes and probably doctored the evidence he provided to the police. Just so he could get immunity for his own crimes.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-58070929
justasking
"It is extremely difficult to ensure that a person will appear before court TO PROVE THEIR INNOCENCE once they have fled abroad," Justice Minister Ken Saito told a press conference on Friday.
There. I fixed it for you.
justasking
Only if you are as rich as he and can afford a private plane.
nishikat
Is this from personal experience (as a non Japanese)?
Anno Zijlstra
Looks to me nog a country I will pick for a holiday with such a justice system
Yrral
GPS Jammer can jam GPS system of any kind,it will be hard to track people in the subway or most Tokyo towers interfere with GPS system
Fred Pinner
Lets remember the facts--jumping bail is not a violation of law so adding GPS for people on bail only adds to the already internationally known Japanese Hostage Justice program.
Alan Harrison
In the case of Ghosn, and probably many other cases, the police and prosecutors behaved in a disgraceful manner (by illegally detaining him re. United Nations report). Judges behaved like imbeciles. Using trackers is a positive move because now police and prosecutors will have to do their jobs properly and judges will have to behave like judges, and not pathetic little puppets. Ghosn should be applauded and thanked by all for helping bringing about this much needed change. (Although there is still s long way to go in reforming it's disgraceful legal system, and standards of law and justice ie. Rule of Law).
James
Kind of, a friend of mine did a couple dirty business deals got caught they slapped him with a fine and 3 months jail.. while his partner and the mastermind got a year in jail suspended no fine guess where he was from....
Roten
It seems that the government could begin using GPS devices within five days after making it lawful, especially for high profile international potential bail jumpers. Why, when as Yabaru points out, this capability is already around, should it take up to five years for the GOJ to begin the use of GPS devices? Pass the law; begin the use. Anyone who won't wear the GPS device doesn't deserve bail. Of course, the courts then would be obligated to try cases with reasonable alacrity and without foot dragging.
Ryder
It is a terrible system that can be allowed to spend years trying to make a case against the innocent.
Roten
Looks to me that if you are picking a holiday destination to commit crimes in it is not a holiday for you. Do the crime, pay the time.
Sven Asai
GPS data records have a very simple and easy to copy or manipulate structure, otherwise millions of user devices couldn’t communicate with those few satellites. Therefore such super rich people surely easily can order someone for jamming the signal or providing a second device that simulates a location they are obliged to be in, while instead being on escape. And even if then somehow caught at an airport or by a coast guard vessel they still can give everyone of those crew some million dollars and that’s it. That costs those suspects a smile and a little pocket money only.
Yrral
Sven their are billion of devices in touch with GPS Satellite, every second,yes GPS signal can be jammed,but not for a specific person,even inside a Faraday cage would block the signal or an aluminum suit would block the signal
Sven Asai
yes right, I didn’t mean classical jamming of the satellite signal to the user, but more a jamming into the other direction, in the sense of a falsified signal emitted from the suspect’s device or a second device that emulates that device so that it looks like the person is at that certain location while in reality he or she is already miles away on escape.
Sven Asai
or in easier words something like those apple tags some stalkers use, mounted at the victims’ cars. That gives returned information on a location, yes, but in most cases only the position of the car, not the real position of the victim, who could be really in that car.( very seldom), but more often in the nearby house, on shopping somewhere nearby or even far away on a holiday in Hawaii instead.
ReasonandWisdomNippon
You have plans to come to Japan?
Follow Japanese rules and laws.
When we visit your country, we follow your countries rules and laws. We don't complain is not fair, and the system should be changed just for us.
Only in Japan you would have such unrealistic expectations. Foreigners in South Korea or China know their place better. Play by the rules of the land!
Alan Harrison
@ReasonandWisdomNippon
When you say "we" I assume that you are referring to Japanese. Well, I am sorry to inform you that some Japanese do follow the rules of other countries when they are there. However, other countries treat these Japanese criminals with the same legal rights under rule of law as their own nationals. Sorry, but having observed the case of Ghosn, Japan does'nt.
Yrral
Reason, Some Japanese do not follow rules, especially corrupt Japanese politicians
Strangerland
No there are not. There are very few 'devices' in touch with GPS satellites, only the administrators of the satellites. The GPS we have in our pocket is not in touch with the satellites at all - the satellites send a ping, and GPS receivers receive the ping. They do not send back to the satellite.
lunatic
The J-Justice will have to find evidence and investigate instead of forcing confessions.
Prosecutors will have to work for the first time in the Japanese history.
Strangerland
Air tags do not use GPS.
There seem to be a lot of conclusions made here by people who don't even understand how the technology works. Conclusions made on mistaken assumptions are faulty conclusions.
Yrral
Strangeland,these signal are transmitted directly to the phone from above,one way, even if you live in the boondocks of Japan,I can locate my longitude and latitude from inside
nishikat
Can you be more specific? Drugs? Still not a big deal. But you know which American criminal in Japan got a great deal? Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar. Imagine if he did the same thing in Texas. Really, I think people complain about Japan too much. I'm sure Yevgeniy Vasilievich Bayraktar is not complaining about the Japanese criminal system so much with the great deal he got.
Yrral
Nishikat,if he were in Texas,he would be presume innocent until proven guilty,Texas Attorney General is federal investigation,so much for law and order in Texas
nishikat
I would rather be tried (and take my chances) in Japan than Texas if I had done what he did. The only issue that so many people are bothered with is the police hold anyone for a long time without actually charging. But overall the final punishments are not that severe. It's a tradeoff. You are falsely accused of touching a woman on a subway that is a real problem the way they hold you until they go through the court process. But you did what Bayraktar did and he gets a smoking good deal instead of life without parole in Texas.