The was a division of the eighth century Japanese

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto

Imperial Court in Kyoto

thumb|left|350px|Front view of Kyoto imperial palaceImperial Court in Kyoto was the nominal ruling government of Japan from 794 AD until the Meiji Era, in which the court was moved to Tokyo and integrated into the Meiji government....

, instituted in the Asuka period

Asuka period

The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...

 and formalized during the Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

.

Overview

The nature of the ministry was modified in response to changing times. The ambit of the Gyōbu-shō activities encompassed, for example:

• administration and conduct of trials
• oversight of the determination of the severity of punishments
• regulation of the imposition of fines, imprisonments, and penal servitude

History

The duties, responsibilities and focus of the ministry evolved over time. The ritsuryō

Ritsuryo

is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...

system of laws were interpreted and applied by bureaucracies which distinguished punishment (gyōbushō) and censorship (danjodai). These were merged in 1871 when the was established under the Constitution of the Empire of Japan.

Hierarchy

The Ministry of Justice brought together a judiciary and penal system management.

The top ritsuryō officials within this ministry structure were:, two positions. There are three classes of officials under the control of the chief judge