Newly appointed Justice Minister Makoto Taki tried to avoid taking sides over the death penalty Monday, only saying he will judge by looking at each case, but added prosecutors should videotape more of the interrogations they carry out.

"We have been carefully watching to prevent laying a false charge. I will check each (capital punishment) case and make a concrete decision," Taki, former senior vice justice minister, told reporters Monday night, noting general perceptions and opinions regarding the death penalty and the actual carrying out of an execution are quite different.

When asked what must be done to improve the public's trust in prosecutors, Taki said more interrogations of criminal suspects should be videotaped.

"Prosecutors have been actively videotaping interrogations, but they need to do more," he said.

A Justice Ministry panel has been looking into how prosecutors could better perform their duties, he added.