The description from Apple follows. The provided test case in fact shows that jni static field/method accessors do not
cause the appropriate interface/class initialized. JLS 12.4.1 says that "A class or interface type T will be initialized immediately
before the first occurrence of the following:
...
T is a class and a static method declared by T is invoked.
....
A static field declared by T is used and the reference to the field is not a compile-time constant"

In both of these cases the initialization is not occuring prior to static field/method being used through the jni. Please see
below. Reproducible on JDK 1.3.1/ JDK 1.4 / JDK 1.2.2

###@###.### 2001-08-13
==================================

The problem is a violation of JLS 12.4.1. To reproduce use the code listed below (to get a tar of these files contact ###@###.###). Compile the java files, and compile TesterImp.c to a jnilib named libtester.<so, jnilib, or whatever it is on your platform>

Run "java Tester" and it will explain what should happen and show that
it is not. We have a source patch in hand for hotspot.


5 files:

#### Tester.java

import java.lang.reflect.*;


public class Tester implements libsubports {

    public static native String getVersionNativeReflect(Class the_if, Field jfid);
    public static native void callStaticMethod(Class the_clazz, Method the_method);

    public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("************************************************************************");
System.out.println("This program will demonstrate that the Hotspot JVM fails to conform to\n" +
"JLS (2nd ed) 12.4.1, regarding class initialization, in certain cases");
System.out.println("************************************************************************\n");

Tester t = new Tester();
System.out.println("\n1) Testing a static field access.");
t.testInterfaceField();
System.out.println("\n2) Testing a static method call.");
t.testStaticMethodCall();
    }


    private void testStaticMethodCall() {
// get the class
Class the_clazz = null;

try {
the_clazz = Class.forName("SomeClass", false, this.getClass().getClassLoader());
}
catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
System.out.println("SomeClass not found");
System.exit(-1);
}

// get the method
Method the_method = the_clazz.getDeclaredMethods()[0];

System.out.println("A correct implementation will have the class initialize before executing the method:");
callStaticMethod(the_clazz, the_method);
    }



    private void testInterfaceField() {
Class the_if = null;
Field jfid = null;

// get the interface for reflection
try {
the_if = (Class)((Tester.class).getInterfaces()[0]);
jfid = the_if.getField("JDirect_MacOSX");
}
catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println( e.toString() );
System.exit(1);
}

System.out.println("If the interface has been initialized properly, the following two will be identical. The second is correct.");
System.out.println("Native, reflect: " + getVersionNativeReflect(the_if, jfid));
System.out.println("Java, no reflect: " + JDirect_MacOSX);
    }



    static {
System.loadLibrary("tester");
    }
}


##### Tester.h

/* DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE - it is machine generated */
#include <jni.h>
/* Header for class Tester */

#ifndef _Included_Tester
#define _Included_Tester
#ifdef __cplusplus
extern "C" {
#endif
/* Inaccessible static: class_00024LTester */
/*
 * Class: Tester
 * Method: getVersionNativeReflect
 * Signature: (Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/reflect/Field;)Ljava/lang/String;
 */
JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL Java_Tester_getVersionNativeReflect
  (JNIEnv *, jclass, jclass, jobject);

/*
 * Class: Tester
 * Method: callStaticMethod
 * Signature: (Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/reflect/Method;)V
 */
JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_Tester_callStaticMethod
  (JNIEnv *, jclass, jclass, jobject);

#ifdef __cplusplus
}
#endif
#endif



#### TesterImp.c

#include <jni.h>
#include "Tester.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <assert.h>


/*
 * Class: Tester
 * Method: getVersionNativeReflect
 * Signature: (Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/reflect/Field;)Ljava/lang/String;
 */
JNIEXPORT jstring JNICALL Java_Tester_getVersionNativeReflect
(JNIEnv *env, jclass myclass, jclass the_if, jobject jfid)
{
  jclass libsubports;
  jfieldID field_id;
  jobject toReturn;

  libsubports = the_if;
  assert(libsubports);
  
  field_id = (*env)->FromReflectedField(env, jfid);
  assert(field_id);

  toReturn = (*env)->GetStaticObjectField(env, libsubports, field_id);

  return (jstring)toReturn;
}


/*
 * Class: Tester
 * Method: callStaticMethod
 * Signature: (Ljava/lang/Class;Ljava/lang/reflect/Method;)V
 */
JNIEXPORT void JNICALL Java_Tester_callStaticMethod
(JNIEnv *env, jclass myclass, jclass target_class, jobject reflect_method)
{
  jmethodID method_id;
    
  // get method id. note that calling GetStaticMethodID would initialize the
  // class.
  method_id = (*env)->FromReflectedMethod(env, reflect_method);
  assert(method_id); // null indicates failed
  
  (*env)->CallStaticVoidMethod(env, target_class, method_id);
  
}

#### SomeClass.java

public class SomeClass {

    private static int field = 3;

    public static void doAction() {
System.err.println("A static method of class SomeClass has been invoked");
field = 2; // will cause initialization if hasn't yet occurred
    }

    static {
System.err.println("The class SomeClass has been initialized");
    }
}



##### libsubports.java

public interface libsubports {
    public static final String JDirect_MacOSX = "xxx" + System.getProperty("java.version") + "yyy";
}