The Osaka High Court on Thursday revoked the Finance Ministry's decision not to disclose documents related to a document-tampering scandal that led to the suicide of a ministry official.

The high court, presided over by Judge Kenji Maki, overturned an Osaka District Court ruling dismissing a petition by Masako Akagi, the widow of the late ministry official, Toshio, to nullify the ministry decision.

Masako argued that it was illegal for the ministry not to disclose administrative documents it had voluntarily submitted to prosecutors regarding the scandal related to the discount sale of state land to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.

The Finance Ministry has refused to disclose even the existence of such documents, saying that doing so would impede investigations. The district court found the nondisclosure legal.

The Osaka High Court said that prosecutors are not aware of what documents the Finance Ministry possesses, and it is up to the ministry to decide which documents to submit. Even if it becomes widely known what documents were submitted by the ministry, "hindrances to future investigations of crimes in general cannot be recognized," the high court concluded.

Japan's Information Disclosure and Personal Information Protection Review Board said last March that the Finance Ministry should revoke its decision not to disclose the documents. But the ministry decided against disclosure again that May.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference Thursday that the government will respond appropriately after relevant government bodies review the latest ruling.