Venue: Doshisha
Law School, Kyoto, Japan
Date: Friday
26 November 2004, 1:30-4:45pm
Theme:
"Australasian and Global Perspectives for Japanese Law Reform
Processes: Legal Education, Commercial Regulation, and Beyond"
Japan has experienced a "lost decade"
economically since the 1990s, but has also undergone a bewildering
array of legal reforms. Australia and New Zealand experienced
a similar program of deregulation and re-regulation from the
1980s. Those interested in comparative and Japanese law "down
under" also tend to have different approaches and perspectives
than observers from Europe and the US. This workshop will explore
those perspectives, but in a global perspective, focusing on
evolving law reform processes (not just outcomes), especially
in two main areas of shared interest: commercial regulation,
and legal education reform. For example, is there or should
there be an Americanisation of Japanese law? Or does Japan need
a new independent "Law Commission", following the
Anglo-Commonwealth model, to restore more cohesion in its legislative
reform process? Would this help or hinder more value pluralism
in law reform? Should a stronger business law harmonization
agenda, along European Union lines, be added to initiatives
towards more bilateral or regional trade agreements? Can law
schools in Australasia and Japan resist bureaucratization and
"corporatisation"?
Format:
Befitting the new style of interactive teaching propounded in
law schools in Japan, as well as leading Australian law faculties,
this workshop will minimize formal paper presentations, and instead
concentrate on small group discussions and a general debriefing/brainstorming
session. Organisers and nominated small group coordinators will
prepare and circulate some discussion points in advance. However,
participants will be encouraged to upload related papers beforehand
on the workshop’s website, and some of these may be introduced
in the opening session or in small group discussions. Discussions
will be primarily in Japanese, but some papers or discussion materials
will be in English.
Schedule:
[NB Small group discussion groups are still subject to participants’
main interest, and some additions/substitutions for coordinators
– please contact Luke Nottage (luken@uow.edu.au)
if interested in helping as another coordinator]
11.30-12.30: Lecture by Leon Wolff (UNSW, in English):
";The
Clash of Paradigms: Japanese Law from a Distance"
12.30-1.30: Registration confirmation, and
(Kyoto-fuu, aki no) obento
1.30-2.15: Introduction (including some brief
paper presentations)
-
Chair & Welcome: Koji
Takahashi (Doshisha Law School, Keiseishien Project
Coordinator)
- Introduction to ANJeL: Kent
Anderson (ANJeL Co-director, ANU, visiting Waseda Law
School)
-
Overview of "Australasian and Global Perspectives":
Leon Wolff
(ANJeL Co-director, UNSW, visiting UPenn Law School)
-
Overview of commercial regulation and legal education
reform challenges: Luke
Nottage (ANJeL Co-director, visiting Ritsumeikan University
Law Faculty)
2.15-2.45: Small group discussions – Round 1:
- "Perspectives" group (coordinator: David
Askew, Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University)
- "Legal Education" group (Sam Edwards, Nagoya
University & Makoto
Ibusuki, Ritsumeikan University) [IT focus]
- "Legal Education" group (Lawrence Repeta, Omiya Law School & Jack Tobin, Yuasa &
Hara) [clinical education]
- "Commercial regulation" group (Masahisa Deguchi, Ritsumeikan University)
- "Commercial regulation" group (Matthew
Wilson, Temple University Japan & Yoshihisa
Hayakawa, Rikkyo University)
-
"Doshisha/Ritsumeikan Law School Students"
group (Pete Lawley, ANU & Kent Anderson, Luke Nottage,
Leon Wolff)
2.45-3.15: Ryokucha (or coffee) break
3.15-3.45: Small group discussions – Round 2
3.45-4.30 General debriefing and further brainstorming, facilitated
by:
- Kent Anderson, Luke Nottage & Leon Wolff
- Mal Smith
(Chuo Law School)
4.30-4.45: Closing & future collaboration possibilities:
Luke Nottage & Koji Takahashi
4.45-5.30: Fresh air break or networking opportunity
5.30-7.30: Dinner at the skyline restaurant in the Doshisha
Law School building
Fee and Registration:
There is no participation fee for this workshop. However,
the number of participants is limited to 50 (including
up to 20 students from Doshisha and Ritsumeikan Law Schools),
so please apply quickly. Reception is to be hosted by the Doshisha
Keiseishien Project. Drinks at the dinner, and the obento lunch,
are sponsored by ANJeL for small group coordinators and debriefing
session facilitators. For other participants, the cost will be
Yen 2,100 for the drinks, and Yen 1,200 for the obento, collected
at the start of the workshop.
The Doshisha Keiseishien Project is also sponsoring domestic
travel and accommodation expenses for organizers, small group
coordinators, and debriefing session facilitators. Those logistics
will be finalized after its administrators commence full-time
on 1 November.
All participants should register by 16 November 2004
by emailing ji-ls2@mail.doshisha.ac.jp,
indicating:
