Right to examine witnesses

Japanese: 証人審問権 - しょうにんしんもんけん

One of the rights guaranteed to criminal defendants by the Constitution. In other words, criminal defendants have the right to be given adequate opportunity to examine all witnesses and to have compulsory procedures for summoning witnesses on their behalf at public expense (Article 37, paragraph 2 of the Constitution). In personal evidence, the content of a person's testimony is the material for proof. Unlike physical evidence, it is subject to various subjective factors, and it is therefore quite difficult to determine its probative value. Therefore, for example, a witness to a crime must be called directly to the courtroom as a witness and subjected to cross-examination by the parties involved.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

憲法が刑事被告人に保障している権利の一つ。すなわち，刑事被告人は，すべての証人に対して審問する機会を十分に与えられ，また公費で自己のために強制的手続により証人を求める権利を有する(憲法37条2項)。人的証拠においては，人の供述内容が立証の資料となる。そこには，物的証拠とは異なり，さまざまな主観的要因が加わるため，その証明力を判断するには少なからぬ困難が伴う。したがって，例えば犯行の目撃者などは，これを証人として直接に公判廷に呼び出し，当事者の反対尋問にさらす必要がある。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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