61393    The number of judges has increased by less than 30 percent over the past 40 years.

61394    In the meantime, the number of cases received in relation to civil and administrative litigations has tripled over the same period of time.

61395    As a matter of course, the caseload has increased and it is estimated that the number of civil court cases on hand per district court judge is more than 200 on average.

61396    It is said that some judges have a total of over 400 cases including 300 cases where he hears on his own and 100 cases where he sits on a panel.

61397    Incidentally, when comparing the population per judge with those in Europe and the US, while it is 45,000 for Japan, it is 8,800 for the US, 1,600 for the UK and 4,400 for Germany.

61398    There are incredibly fewer judges in our country.

61399    Under the circumstance, it is not uncommon to have more than ten oral arguments in one day.

61400    As a result, we hear that there are instances where the judges are in such a hurry to conclude trials that they push for out-of-court settlements, saying, "If one gets hung up on the verdict, one will be further delayed."

61401    Rulings that follow government administration and those that follow precedents have also been frequently brought up, and it is not hard to imagine that the current caseload situation does not have anything to do with them.

61402    Eliminating the excessive caseloads should be a priority.

61403    While the Supreme Court, too, is looking towards increasing the number of personnel, it seems difficult for them to easily bring up the idea of sharply increasing the number of staff in the midst of the downsizing in the name of "administrative reform."

61404    Some are offering remarks that "two or three hundred cases on hand are by no means excessive," implying to leaving the current situation as it is.

61405    In addition to the legal resolution of disputes, judicial functions also have a significant role in checking up on administrative authority.

61406    Taking into consideration this aspect, it would seem reasonable for the Ministry of Justice, unlike the other government ministries and agencies, to have a policy to increase personnel.

61407    As the focal point of the judicial reform, the issue concerning legal professionals is currently being actively debated within legal circles.