Expert Evidence in Australia and Japan

Complex cases often require expert knowledge to achieve appropriate resolution in the eyes of the parties and society. But it is challenging for judges who don't have specific expertise or experience in the relevant field to decide those cases. For ordinary civil cases requiring expertise, parties in Australia bring experts to the court and the cases are resolved by examining their opinions. On the other hand, in Japan, the courts appoint experts and solve those cases based on their opinions. This seminar focused on how ordinary civil cases which need expertise are resolved in Japan and highlight the differences in ways of thinking of solutions for these cases between Australia and Japan.

Yuri takemura is a Judge in the Kobe District Court in Japan. She received the degree of Bachelor of Laws from the Faculty of Law, Osaka University in 2009, and the degree of Juris Doctor from the Osaka University Law School in 2012. She passed the National Bar Examination in 2012 and completed a year-long course of practical legal training as a legal apprentice in 2013. She was appointed a Judge in 2014 and dealt with civil cases at the Yokohama District Court from 2014 to 2017. She was a visiting scholar at the Melbourne Law School under the Overseas Training Programme of the Supreme Court of Japan (June 2017 – June 2018). This programme provides judges with an opportunity to gain insights on the administration of justice through comprehensive research on foreign jurisdictions.