公判(こうはん)

こうはん
noun
public trial; court hearing
formallaw
1. public trial; court hearing
A stage of criminal proceedings in which a case is examined in open court before a judge, after an indictment has been filed. 公判(こうはん) refers specifically to the trial phase in which evidence is presented and testimony is heard, as opposed to the earlier investigation stage.
第一回(だいいっかい)公判(こうはん)。
The first hearing (of the trial).
被告(ひこく)は公判(こうはん)で起訴内容(きそないよう)を否認(ひにん)した。
The defendant denied the charges at the trial.
事件(じけん)の公判(こうはん)は、多(おお)くの報道陣(ほうどうじん)が詰(つ)めかける中(なか)で開(ひら)かれた。
The trial for the case was held with many reporters crowding into the courtroom.

Composed of 公(こう) (public) and 判(はん) (to judge). The term refers to the open, public phase of a criminal trial, reflecting the principle that trials in Japan are generally held in public. It is a core term in crime reporting and legal writing, and is distinct from the earlier 捜査(そうさ) (investigation) stage and from the formal 裁判(さいばん) (court case) as a whole.

This word is a homophone of 広範(こうはん) (wide-ranging) and 後半(こうはん) (second half). Context — courtroom, defendant, indictment — makes the meaning clear.

Common collocations

  • 第一回(だいいっかい)公判(こうはん): the first hearing
  • 公判(こうはん)が開(ひら)かれる: a hearing is held
  • 公判(こうはん)で証言(しょうげん)する: to testify in court
  • 公判前(こうはんまえ)整理手続(せいりてつづき): pre-trial arrangement procedure

Similar words

  • 裁判(さいばん): trial, lawsuit — the general term for the whole process
  • 審理(しんり): (court) examination, hearing — the process of examining a case
  • 判決(はんけつ): verdict, judgment — the court's final decision
  • 起訴(きそ): indictment, prosecution — the step before 公判(こうはん) begins

Related Words

Compare: 裁判(さいばん) (trial, lawsuit)
Compare: 判決(はんけつ) (verdict, judgment)
Compare: 起訴(きそ) (indictment, prosecution)
general
Added 2026.4.11 23:19 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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