Section 2 Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency
1. Organization and regions under jurisdiction
(1) Organization
The Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency is an administrative arm of the national government solely responsible for the administration of inquiries pertaining to marine accidents. The agency was established in February 1948 as the Marine Accidents Inquiry Court, attending the enactment of the Marine Accidents Inquiry Law, and given its current name in June 1949 with the enactment of the Ministry of Transport Organization Law, since which time it has operated as an external bureau of the Ministry of Transport.
The Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency comprises Local Marine Accidents Inquiry agencies, which are in charge of inquiries in the first instance; the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency, which is in charge of inquiries in the second instance; and the Marine Accidents Inquiry Commissioners' Office, which administers the work of commissioners via local offices.
The High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency is in Tokyo. Local Marine Accidents Inquiry agencies are located in Hakodate, Sendai, Yokohama, Kobe, Hiroshima, Moji and Nagasaki, while branch of the Moji Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency has also been established in Naha. The Marine Accidents Commissioners' Office is in Tokyo and has local offices in the same locations as the Local Marine Accidents Inquiry agencies. A branch of the Moji Marine Accidents Inquiry Commissioners' Office in Naha (Fig. 1-2-1).
(2) Regions under jurisdiction
Because the Marine Accidents Inquiry Law handles marine accidents involving Japanese vessels in waters around the world, it divides the world into two parts determined by a meridian through the mouth of the Shingu River (longitude: 136゜01'30" East), on the border between Mie and Wakayama Prefectures, and another meridian (Longitude: 70゜West). The waters of the Pacific Ocean are roughly apportioned to the Yokohama Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency, while those of the Indian and Atlantic oceans are assigned to the Kobe Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency. Further, the waters around Japan are divided into regional segments under the jurisdiction of the Local Marine Accidents Inquiry agencies. As a rule, jurisdiction over a marine accident belongs to the Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency with jurisdiction over the waters where the accident has occurred.
Commissioners in each Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Commissioners' Office perform their duties in the region under the jurisdiction of the Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency in their location. (Fig. 1-2-2).
2. Number of officials
As of the end of fiscal year 1998, there were 247 officials in the Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency. Of this total, 42 officials work for the High Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency, 104 for Local Marine Accidents Inquiry agencies, 17 for the Marine Accidents Inquiry Commissioner's offices and 84 for Local Marine Accidents Inquiry Commissioner's offices. Although the number of officials was increased by one during the period to strengthen the system for promoting cooperation among governments in the investigation of marine accidents, it was subsequently reduced by two.
The Marine Accidents Inquiry Agency consists of a director general, judges, commissioners and other officials. At present, there are 53 judges, 50 commissioners (including nine are assistant commissioners) and 143 other officials.
Due to the technical and highly professional nature of the duties of judges and commissioners, qualifications for these positions are dictated by the Cabinet Order for Enforcement of Marine Accidents Inquiry Law.
