Useless translations of Japanese Laws urged

[Taro Toporific]

EDITORIAL
Found in translation
[url=http://

http//www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/geted.pl5?ed20041128a1.htm%3C/p%3E]Japan Times / Nov 28[/url]
.....The translation of laws and ordinances into foreign languages would facilitate international business and promote investment by foreign companies. It would also help support the establishment of legal systems in developing countries, especially those in Asia, introduce and increase knowledge of Japanese legislation in other countries, and familiarize foreign residents with life in Japan.
At present, only a few translations of official legislation are posted at the Web sites of individual government offices, such as the English version of the Constitution by the Prime Minister's Office, the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law by the Ministry of Justice....

The so-called "translation" of the Japanese immigration laws are famous for the total LACK of any detail. It is 101% immpossible to take a Japanese immigration law, point to a detail and demand redress. The immigration law is only 45 or so pages but the adminstrative guidelines may run tens of thousands of pages...nobody knows not even Immigration 'cause there're "secret."

[Socratesabroad]

I was thinking more along simpler lines: most 'translations' of Japanese laws are really crap. Then again, that may not be the total fault of the translator since Japanese laws are, as Taro said, exceedingly vague. For a few examples:
http://homepage2.nifty.com/paper/lawcollection.htm

Law Concerning the Succession of Labour Contracts, Etc. upon the Divisive Reorganization of Company (Law No. 103 of May 31, 2000) (Provisional Translation by the specialist)
[snip]
Article 3. A labour contract that a worker mentioned in Article 2, Paragraph 1, Item 1 entered into with the divisively reorganizing company and with respect to which there is a statement in the divisive reorganization plan, etc. to the effect that the formed company, etc. will succeed thereto shall be succeeded to by the formed company, etc. concerned at the time when the partition involved in the divisive reorganization plan, etc. concerned becomes effective.

Having decent translations of Japanese laws would be quite helpful since they are often referenced in papers, MSDSes, and similar documents.

However, I'd seriously doubt any non-Japanese or Japanese with decent foreign language ability would actually be included in the "learned people and representatives of government ministries and agencies" and the "working subcommittee of experts" who will actually oversee the translation work. And so the old adage of 'garbage in, garbage out' springs to mind...

[kamome]

I absolutely hate those awful translations of J-laws and their infuriating vagueness. Yes, even if a translation exists, it isn't helpful because

a) the translation is usually crap,
b) the Cabinet Orders, Circulars, and other types of regulations that flesh out the meaning of the law are almost never available in English anyway,
c) regardless of whether you understand the meaning of the law itself, it's meaningless unless you know (from past experience) how the authorities tend to apply it, and
d) even if you know how the authorities tend to apply the law, they have too much discretion to be predictable.