Access to the document.
The agreement between the EU and Japan on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters is the first 'self-standing' mutual legal assistance agreement between the EU and a third country.
This agreement introduces modern cooperation tools including:
the possibility to provide testimony via videoconference. This will significantly simplify the procedure of hearing a witness or an expert, eliminating long and expensive travel. In practice this will mean that an EU citizen who was the witness of a crime committed in Japan for instance, will no longer be required to travel to Japan to provide a testimony, but will be able to speak via videoconference from his or her home country;
the exchange of bank information. Police authorities and prosecutors will now be able to receive promptly the necessary information. It will not be possible to refuse such assistance on the grounds of bank secrecy.
For further information on the EU-Japan Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement please visit the EJN Judicial Library or the Japanese section of the Cooperation with third countries and judicial networks part of the EJN website.