According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, a government or local government official shall file an accusation when they believe an offense has been committed[Article 239(2)]. However, it is commonly understood that a medical doctor who is a government or local government official does not have a duty to file an accusation if they think that the offense is a professional secret. It is also understood that the report of a crime revealed by a patient to a medical doctor does not constitute a breach of confidentiality if there are justifiable reasons.
<Author's abstract>
Issues Related to Duty to File an Accusation by a Government or Local Government Official
Tokai University, School of Law
Psychiatria et Neurologia Japonica
122: 610-615, 2020
<Keywords:government or local government official, duty to file an accusation, confidentiality>