The Japanese government has decided to amend the country's juvenile act, in accordance with the revised civil code that lowers the age of adulthood from the current 20 to 18 in April of next year.

A draft amendment of the juvenile act was approved at a Cabinet meeting on Friday.

Under the amendment, offenders aged 18 and 19 will continue to be protected under the juvenile act, instead of criminal laws.

But they will be treated differently from both adults and those aged 17 or younger.

Cases involving offenders aged 18 and 19 will continue to be sent to family courts, but the amendment will expand the scope of offenses where the cases must be referred from family courts to prosecutors.

The amendment also allows media outlets to report the names and other information that can identify the perpetrators if they are indicted.

A supplementary provision to the draft amendment stipulates that the legal treatment of individuals aged 18 and 19 will be reviewed five years after the enforcement of the new act.

The government hopes to have the Diet approve the amendment during its current session.

Source: ANNnewsCH