Suspended sentence - suspended sentence

A system where a criminal is sentenced and then suspended for a certain period of time, and if the criminal behaves well during that period, the sentence is not executed. This system was introduced in Western European countries from the end of the 19th century, especially to avoid the disadvantages of short-term imprisonment (the short sentence does not improve the criminal's condition or deterrent effect). In Japan, this method was adopted in 1905 (Meiji 38), and has been used to this day, expanding its scope of application. According to the current Criminal Code, suspension of execution is permitted for imprisonment or incarceration of up to three years, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen, and the suspension period is determined to be between one year and five years. However, it is limited to those who have no criminal record of imprisonment or more, or those who can be treated similarly, and who have circumstances that make suspension of execution appropriate (Criminal Code, Article 25). The sentence is pronounced at the same time as the sentence is handed down. Probation may be placed on probation during the suspension period (Criminal Code, Article 25-2). Probation is administered by the probation office, and the implementing agencies are probation officers and probation officers. The law stipulates that there are two reasons for the revocation of a suspended sentence: mandatory reasons for the revocation, such as when a person commits a crime during the period and is sentenced to imprisonment or more, and the suspension of execution of the sentence is not granted, and discretionary reasons for the revocation, such as when the person does not comply with the rules that should be observed during the period, and the decision is made to decide whether to revoke the suspension after further consideration of the circumstances (Articles 26 and 26-2 of the same law). If the suspension of execution is revoked, the sentence that was previously handed down will actually be carried out. As an exception, if a person commits a crime during the suspension of execution without probation, but was only sentenced to imprisonment or imprisonment of one year or less, and there are particularly extenuating circumstances, the suspension of execution may be revoked again. In this case, probation is always attached. Once the grace period has elapsed, the sentence itself will become void (Article 27 of the same law).

Suspension of execution has the objective of avoiding the negative effects of short-term imprisonment, but rather, it has a positive objective of threatening criminals with the possibility of the actual execution of their sentence, avoiding the difficulties of reintegration into society that would be caused by the interruption of social life due to the execution of a sentence of imprisonment, and encouraging the individual to rehabilitate autonomously. Especially when combined with probation, it has the nature of community treatment (a form of criminal treatment in which the criminal is allowed to live in society). However, more realistically, it also functions as a convenient relief measure when the court judges that prosecution was not necessary in accordance with the principle of prosecution expediency (the principle of allowing prosecutors to suspend prosecution at their discretion), and as a de facto exemption from punishment that has a beneficial effect. Recently, about 60% of imprisonment sentences and about 90% of incarceration sentences are suspended.

[Shuichi Susuki and Akikazu Konishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

犯罪者に刑を言い渡したうえで、一定期間その執行を猶予し、その間、本人が善行を保持したときは、その刑を執行しないことにする、という制度。19世紀の末ごろから、とくに短期自由刑の弊害（刑期が短いため、改善の効果も威嚇力も期待できない）を回避するために、西ヨーロッパ諸国で行われるようになった制度で、日本では1905年（明治38）にこの方法が採用され、その後、適用範囲を拡大しつつ現在に至っている。現行刑法によれば、執行猶予は、3年以下の懲役または禁錮(きんこ)、50万円以下の罰金について認められ、猶予期間は1年以上5年以下で決定される。しかし、禁錮以上の刑に処せられた前科のない者、または、これに準じて取り扱いうる者で、執行猶予を相当とする情状のある者に限る（刑法25条）。刑の言渡しと同時に判決で言い渡す。猶予期間中、保護観察をつけることもある（同法25条の2）。保護観察は、保護観察所がつかさどり、実行機関は保護観察官および保護司である。執行猶予の取消し事由は、期間中に罪を犯して禁錮以上の刑に処せられ、その刑に執行猶予が認められなかった場合のように、執行猶予がかならず取り消されるもの（必要的取消し事由）と、期間中に本人が遵守すべき事項を守らなかった場合などのように、情状をさらに検討したうえで取り消すかどうかを決めるもの（裁量的取消し事由）とを区別して、法律が規定している（同法26条・26条の2）。執行猶予が取り消されれば、先に言い渡されていた刑が現実に執行される。例外として、保護観察のつかない執行猶予の猶予期間中に罪を犯しても、1年以下の懲役または禁錮に処せられたにすぎず、とくに酌量すべき情状があるときは、再度、執行猶予が可能である。この場合には、かならず保護観察がつけられる。猶予期間を無事経過すれば、刑の言渡しそのものが効力を失う（同法27条）。

　執行猶予は、短期自由刑の弊害回避という目的をもつことも否定できないが、むしろ、刑の現実の執行がありうるということで犯罪者を威嚇しつつ、自由刑執行による社会生活の中断がもたらす社会復帰への困難を避け、本人の自律的な更生を促すという積極的目的をもつ。とくに保護観察と結び付くときには、社会内処遇（社会のなかで生活を営ませながら行う犯罪者処遇の形式）の性質をもつ。しかし、さらに現実的には、起訴便宜主義（検察官の裁量による起訴猶予を認めるという原則）の趣旨に従いあえて訴追するまでもなかったと裁判所が判断した場合の便宜的な救済措置としての機能や、恩典的意味をもつ事実上の刑の免除としての機能などもある。なお、最近では、懲役の約60％、禁錮の約90％が執行猶予になっている。

［須々木主一・小西暁和］

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