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Procedural Justice and the Assessment of Civil Justice in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Ken-ichi Ohbuchi ,
Kazuhiko Teshigahara ,
Ikuo Sugawara  and
Kei-ichiro Imazai
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Abstract

In analyzing the data from a structured interview survey with Japanese litigants of civil trials, we examined the relationships between their perceptions of outcomes and process of the trials, responses to the trials, and evaluation of the judicial system. The results showed that both favorability of trial outcomes and procedural fairness of trials increased satisfaction with the trial outcomes and evaluation of the judicial system. Satisfaction was largely determined by perceived favorability, while the evaluation of the judicial system was largely determined by perceived procedural fairness, suggesting a justice bond effect that justice fortifies people's societal commitment. Consistent with procedural justice theories, the perception of procedural fairness was increased by the sense of control and the appraisal of relational factors, though both were affected by favorability.

Type
Articles of General Interest
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 39 , Issue 4 , December 2005 , pp. 875 - 892
Copyright
© 2005 Law and Society Association.

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