JAPAN ~ Proud of being 200+ years behind the rest of the G7

Ghosn case makes Japan's 'hostage justice' system more visible

The term "hostage justice" refers to holding the suspect in custody while pressing for the "ransom" of a confession.

Ghosn's case has sparked harsh international criticism of Japan's justice system, in which 99.9 percent of people charged with crimes are convicted.

"The affair was reported abroad and many Japanese know that the Japanese criminal justice system is not necessarily at a global standard," wrote former Tokyo District Court judge Takao Nakayama in the Nikkei business daily.

"In that sense, the Tokyo prosecutors opened a Pandora's box," he wrote. The article was part of a full-page spread headlined "What should be fixed in Japan's 'hostage justice.'"