1) Complaints

Where an individual who believes that his or her human right of the individual has been infringed or anyone concerned including his or her relative or acquaintance has filed with a human rights organ of Justice Ministry a complaint, either orally or in writing, alleging that a human right of the said individual has been infringed and requesting some relief

2) Reports from a Civil Liberties Commissioner i.e. a Human Rights Volunteer

Where a Civil Liberties Commissioner has reported an incident of human rights infringement to a human rights organ

3) Information

Where a human rights organ has got information about an incident of human rights infringement from an article of a publication such as a newspaper or a magazine, television or radio news, a letter, or rumor

4) Referral from a relevant authority

Where a relevant authority has referred an incident of human rights infringement to a human rights organ

2 Deposition of a human rights infringement case

(1) Where a human rights infringement has been established

1) Criminal Referral

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may make a referral to a prosecution authority pursuant to the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure where the act of the human rights infringement falls into a crime.

2) Instructions

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may give necessary instructions to the perpetrator or to a person or persons who are responsible to instruct or supervise the perpetrator setting out the fact of the human rights infringement in writing

3) Notification

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may notify in writing of the fact of the human rights infringement an administrative authority or another agency which is deemed appropriate for dealing with the case

4) Recommendations

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may recommend, orally or in writing, the perpetrator or a person or body who is responsible for guiding or supervising the perpetrator to reflect upon the act of the human rights infringement and to take appropriate actions

5) Assistance

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may contact a relevant authority for the victim of human rights infringement, to provide information about the legal aid system, and to give legal advice and other useful assistance regarding the incident for which judicial or administrative procedures should be taken to give relief to the victim

6) Measures for removal

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may awaken the persons concerned to respect for human rights and to encourage the perpetrator etc to voluntarily cease or alleviate the existing human rights infringement and make restitution etc, by taking some measures which are deemed appropriate for removing the human rights infringement such as encouragement, mediation etc

7) Suspension of measures

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may conclude it where the organ has established the fact of the human rights infringement as a result of the investigation but deems appropriate not to take any measures above from 1) to 6) having regard to the perpetrator's character, age and circumstances, the seriousness and circumstances of the human rights, the situation after the infringement, the extent of the injury, and the victim's situations etc.

(2) Where the fact of the human rights infringement has not been established

1) No infringement

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may conclude it where the organ finds that there was not any infringement of human rights.

2) Unclear case

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may conclude it where, as a result of the investigation, the organ can not determine whether or not there was any infringement of human rights.

(3) Disposition before the fact-findings

1) Suspension

Where the human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case deems inappropriate to continue it because a relevant case is pending in court proceedings, the whereabouts of persons concerned is unknown, or there are some other serious hindrances to carrying out the investigation, the organ may suspend it before its conclusion until the hindrances are removed.

2) Referral

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may conclude it where the organ deems appropriate for the matters concerning the case to be dealt with by another authority.

3) Discontinuation

The human rights organ conducting the investigation into the case may discontinue dealing with the case where the organ deems appropriate to do so having regard to the complainant's or the aggrieved person's withdrawal of the complaint, their statement that they don't wish to pursue the case, or other changes of the circumstances.

Summary of Public Relations Activities Held at "The Memorial Month for The 50th Anniversary of The Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan"

1. "The Memorial Ceremony and Lecture for The 50th Anniversary of The Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan"

   On December 10th 1998, the memorial ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan was held splendidly in the Tokyo International Forum with the Emperor and the Empress consort of Japan in attendance. 2,700 persons concerned attended this ceremony. Following this ceremony, a lecture titled "The present day - Thinking about a Human" was given by guest speaker Giiti Fujimoto, writer.

2. National Campaigns for the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

   From November 1st to December 10th, each Legal Affairs Bureau (District Legal Affairs Bureau) made a campaign unit for the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights together with Prefecture and Prefectural Federation of Consultative Assemblies of Civil Liberties Commissioners, and visited prefecture and 1,422 among 3,255 cities, towns and villages, and handed over Massage from Mary Robinson High Commissioner for Human Rights to the mayor or headman of them. In addition, the unit carried out a promotional activity going round the each district by campaign car in order to inform a meaning and importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

3. Street Campaigns with One Day Civil Liberties Commissioners

   On December 4th (Friday), starting at noon, The Central Street Campaign was held at Ueno Station (Central Entrance Hall), with three professional baseball players - Inaba, Gotou and Kanemura - commissioned as the One Day Civil Liberties Commissioners for the street campaign. Street campaigns were also held in Chiba, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kumamoto Cities with professional baseball players and J League professional football players commissioned as One Day Civil Liberties Commissioners. Thus, various campaigns were held across the nation.

4. The National Contest of Human Rights Essay for Junior High School Students for The 50th Anniversary of the adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

   Since 1981, the Ministry of Justice and the National Federation of Consultative Assemblies of the Civil Liberties Commissioners have jointly sponsored "The National Essay Contest for Junior High School Students on Human Rights." In 1998, it was held as a event of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and there were 792,182 entries from 5,123 junior high school nationwide.

5. Putting up the Poster of "The Memorial Month for The 50th Anniversary of the Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan"

   The poster of "the memorial month for the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan" and (114,000 sheets) and the poster for elimination of discrimination (108,000 sheets) were put up at Legal Affairs Bureaus / District Legal Affairs Bureaus, local authorities, Civil Liberties Commissioners' houses, main railway stations, banks and so on.

6. Distribution of the Booklet for public relations activities titled "The Memorial Month for The 50th Anniversary of the Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan"

   The Civil Liberties Bureau of the Ministry of Justice prepared the Booklet for Public Relations Activities titled "The Memorial Month for The 50th Anniversary of the Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the establishment of the Civil Liberties Commissioners system in Japan" (100,000 copies) and distributed them to the public at lectures, symposia and street campaigns. It also prepared the Booklet for public relations activities titled "Thinking about Human Rights - The 50th Anniversary of the Adoption of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "(70,000 copies) and distributed them mainly to junior high schools and high schools of the whole country.

7. Distribution of PR Videotapes

   The Civil Liberties Bureau of the Ministry of Justice prepared the PR videotape titled "Human Rights Symphony--The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Japanese Human Rights Organs introduced by Tatumi Takurou, actor--" and distributed it to all Legal Affairs Bureaus / District Legal Affairs Bureaus and prefectures.

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