crime

Japan to pardon 550,000 petty criminals on occasion of imperial ceremony

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More crimes repeating themselves ???.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Educator60

As the article says: “Those sentenced to imprisonment or penal servitude will not be considered for pardons. General amnesty will not be granted, nor will sentences be reduced.”

A major point that most of the commenters here don't seem to grasp.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

This way of currying favour with citizens is morally low, and lacks backbone. Pretty much everything about the monarchy is. So much mental illness in one place (the monarchy, those who adore it, those who use it as a weapon to control the public, and the public that is subsequently controlled by it).

What a joke! But nothing unusual in a nation where the people so easily give over and welcome a future of suffering.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

After a question was raised by a member of the Foreign Press, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that he didn’t like to comment on individuals but that he could confirm that Carlos Ghosn would not not included in the 550,000.

Carlos Ghosn has not even been on trail yet so is therefore not guilty of anything to be pardoned for.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

If the justice system is not geared to reform, then it is not a justice system...it is a vengeance system. Forgiveness is part of the reform process, even such a wild card as this. I guarantee that for most of you, just being in a court room with the rest of your life in the balance would reform you fast. I support his decision on the basis of justice. But I denounce it as a means of garnering support for the monarchy.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

And guaranteed they will only be J nationals.

minor foreigner infractions won't be forgiven.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Bollocks.

do the crime, do the time.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Why?

To fill out worker rosters at the local combini?

If their crimes were so "petty" why were they even arrested then?

2 ( +4 / -2 )

According to my dictionary "penal servitude" is "the punishment of being sent to prison and forced to do hard physical work" and "imprisonment" is "being locked up or kept somewhere, usually in prison." Does Japan still have hard physical labour punishment? Like Gulag-style? All prisoners in Japan are forced to work anyway, aren't they? I'm just curious.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

More than 10 million people received amnesty and had their civil rights restored in 1989 to mark the death of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa.

TEN MILLION? That means that 1 in 13 or so were convicted criminals? I know, I know, the majority are traffic related "crimes" and while they may have "broken" the law, traffic violations dont stay on one's records forever.

If they did, no one here would have a "gold" license ever, well with the exception of the paper-drivers!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

After a question was raised by a member of the Foreign Press, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said that he didn’t like to comment on individuals but that he could confirm that Carlos Ghosn would not not included in the 550,000.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

I'm really confuse here

Theft 2.6 percent.

Causing death 17.4 percent.

If you killed someone... you should do your time. No pardon.

Of those 550,000, traffic violators will account for 65.2 percent, followed by those convicted of causing death or injury in traffic accidents at 17.4 percent, assault or injury at 3.3 percent, and theft at 2.6 percent.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Will they pardon the foreigners too!

Separately, special individual pardons will be granted to those fined for minor infractions within the last three years and whose job prospects have been impacted. 

How will they verify that someone's job prospects have been impacted? How are they going to decide those most deserving of the pardons?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Good for Japan. It shows a society that is ready to rehabilitate and forgive criminals, and accept them back into society. As Suga-san argues:

"We will implement the pardons with a policy to promote social rehabilitation by increasing the criminals' desire to rehabilitate themselves,"

If these 550,000 criminals have shown remorse and regret, they deserve a second chance at having civil rights. That is what a just society does. Its not like 30 years ago, when 10 Million criminals were pardoned.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

followed by those convicted of causing death or injury in traffic accidents at 17.4 percent

I would need to know whether those convicted were negligently driving before I could agree this was reasonable. People were injured or killed, after all.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

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