裁判官

• Reading: さいばんかん
• Romaji: saibankan
• Kanji breakdown: 裁 (sai) — judge, cut, decide; 判 (ban/han) — judge, seal, stamp; 官 (kan) — official, government
• Pronunciation: /sai.baɴ.kaɴ/

Meaning

Judge. A public official appointed to hear and decide cases in a court of law.

A noun referring to a judge in the Japanese court system. The three types are: 最高裁判所裁判官 (Supreme Court justices), 高等裁判所裁判官 (high court judges), and 地方裁判所裁判官 (district court judges). Distinguished from 審判 (shinpan, referee/umpire in sports). Japan does not use a jury system for most cases; instead, the 裁判員制度 (saibain seido, lay judge system) was introduced in 2009 for serious criminal cases.

Examples

1. 裁判官は被告に懲役三年の判決を言い渡した。 The judge sentenced the defendant to three years in prison.
2. 裁判官になるためには司法試験に合格する必要がある。 Passing the bar exam is required to become a judge.
3. その裁判官は公正な判断で知られている。 That judge is known for fair and impartial rulings.

Usage Guide

Context: law, court, news

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese: 裁 (sai, judge/decide) + 判 (ban, judge/seal) + 官 (kan, official). Literally 'judging official' — a government official whose duty is to make legal judgments.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal