noun
pretrial preparation; trial preparation
Legal term referring to the preparatory steps before a court hearing or trial, such as evidence gathering and witness coordination.
弁護士は公判準備に追われている。
The lawyer is busy with trial preparation.
公判準備手続きが来週から始まる。
The pretrial preparation proceedings will start next week.
Compound of 公判 (public trial) and 準備 (preparation). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is a straightforward modern legal compound.