top-ranking judge (ritsuryō system)
Historical term for the highest judicial official under the ritsuryō legal codes of ancient Japan.
Under the ritsuryō system, the top-ranking judge oversaw trials under the Grand Council of State.
chief justice (1869-1875)
Historical title for the head of the judiciary during the early Meiji period, before the modern court system was established.
In the early Meiji period, the chief justice worked on establishing the judicial system as the head of the Ministry of Justice.
From 大 (dai, 'great') + 判事 (hanji, 'judge'). The term was used in two distinct historical periods: the ritsuryō system and the early Meiji era.