ACE link

Constitution ofJapan

(Cameinto effect May 3, 1947; not amended since)

http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/constitution_and_government_of_japan/constitution_e.html

Article 79

(1) TheSupreme Court shall consist of a Chief Judge and such number of judges as maybe determined by law; all such judges excepting the Chief Judge shall beappointed by the Cabinet.
(2) The appointment of thejudges of the Supreme Court shall be reviewed by the people at the firstgeneral election of members of the House of Representatives following theirappointment, and shall be reviewed again at the first general election ofmembers of the House of Representatives after a lapse of ten (10) years, and inthe same manner thereafter.

(3) In casesmentioned in the foregoing paragraph, when the majority of the voters favorsthe dismissal of a judge, he shall be dismissed.

(4) Matterspertaining to review shall be prescribed by law.

(5) The judges ofthe Supreme Court shall be retired upon the attainment of the age as fixed bylaw.
(6) All such judges shall receive, at regular stated intervals, adequatecompensation which shall not be decreased during their terms of office.

Article 96

(1)  Amendments to this Constitution shall be initiated by the Diet, througha concurring vote of two-thirds or more of all the members of each House andshall thereupon be submitted to the people for ratification, which shallrequire the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes cast thereon, ata special referendum or at such election as the Diet shall specify.

(2) Amendments whenso ratified shall immediately be promulgated by the Emperor in the name of thepeople, as an integral part of this Constitution.

The first review of a Supreme Court?judge (at the firstgeneral election after his or her appointment) can be seen as an electionissue, but subsequent reviews, held at ten year intervals, can be reasonablyinterpreted as referenda.