Japan has a resident litigation system modeled on America's taxpayer suits. It allows residents to file suits to correct financial irregularities on the part of local officials, such as use of public money for private wining and dining. Now, a bill to change that system is pending in the Diet. The measure is a step in the wrong direction.
Under the Local Autonomy Law, citizens can claim compensation directly from local administration officials who have committed wrongdoings. The bill would change this direct method of litigation to an indirect one in which claims would be made not by residents but by local administrators or public auditors.
The proposed revision would make it difficult for residents to check uses of taxpayer money by local administrations, thus it runs counter to residents' desire to ensure greater transparency in local government through closer monitoring of financial doings. As such, the bill needs a drastic overhaul.