Overview

• The Shizuoka Prefectural Bar Association hosted a rally in Shizuoka City on Sept. 27, drawing about 130 attendees to call for swift changes to Japan’s retrial system.
• Hakamada Iwao’s sister, Hideko, urged legal reform and said her brother’s demeanor has softened since last year’s acquittal, though he did not attend due to communication difficulties after decades on death row.
• The defense team plans to file a state compensation lawsuit on Oct. 9 against the national and prefectural governments to examine police and prosecutorial responsibility.
• Local lawyers distributed informational flyers on Sept. 26 and released a video to sustain public attention on evidence disclosure and delays caused by prosecution challenges.
• The 1966 Shimizu family murders led to a death sentence that was overturned in a retrial acquittal on Sept. 26, 2024, spotlighting limited evidence disclosure and appeal practices under legislative review in the Diet and at the Justice Ministry’s advisory council.