Judge Kitagawa Offers Cross-Cultural Insight

Reegan Grayson-Morison
Volume 3, Issue 11, (Originally Published on Monday 20 May 2013)
 
Judge Sachio Kitagawa is the tenth Visiting Research Scholar to visit Melbourne Law School, part of the Supreme Court of Japan’s Overseas Training and Research Program.
 
Leaving Japan and her position on the Fukuoka District Court, Kitagawa has been with the Asian Law Centre (ALC) since June 2012, and is slated to return to Japan in June 2013.
 
During her time in Melbourne, Kitagawa has researched dispute resolution, as well as compulsory voting in Australia.
 
Her Honour has had the opportunity to meet with members of the Australian judiciary, academics and bureaucrats from various government departments.
 
Kitagawa has also audited a number of subjects in the JD and Law Masters programs based on her research topic. Reflecting on her discussions with members of the judiciary, Kitagawa noted there were several aspects of work life in Australia that surprised her.
 
Her Honour commented on the high-level of technological integration in the courts, including video streaming and the Federal Court’s e-filing and lodgement systems.
 
The scheduling flexibility of judges and court staff, in terms of work hours and leave, also intrigued her Honour.
 
In her upcoming ALC seminar, ‘A Comparative View of the Judiciary: the Training of Judges in the Japanese Legal System’, scheduled for 6 pm on Monday, 27 May 2013 in Room 920, Kitagawa will speak about the Japanese legal system, her role as a judge, and the training program at the Legal Training and Research Institute of Japan. The presentation will be comparative in nature and based on her Honour’s experiences working for a company and studying abroad.
 
Light refreshments will also be served at the seminar. Registrations are essential and can be made online at http://tinyurl.com/a4nr56k.
 
Reegan Grayson-Morison