The goals of the Japan Legal Support Center (JLSC) extend beyond providing legal support to financially disadvantaged individuals. Another important goal of the JLSC is helping victims of crimes by providing support and acting as a referral agency to help victims and their families deal with the multitude of legal issues that they face. The JLSC can provide information regarding the criminal justice system and the potential for recovery of damages. If necessary, the JLSC can also refer crime victims to an attorney to help them with their case or potentially help the client by advancing legal fees if the client qualifies for such service.
The JLSC also works to expand access to criminal defense to poor defendants by providing the payment to court appointed attorneys for criminal defendants who are too poor to hire an attorney. Therefore, in many cases, the actual criminal defense is usually carried out by local private lawyers who are reimbursed by the JLSC. The Ohara Law Office also works with the JLSC and accepts these types of cases.
If you have any questions about criminal law in Japan, please contact our office for a legal consultation.