Tag - courts

 
 

COURTS

Plaintiffs of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a ban on same-sex marriage and their supporters hold a banner calling for authorities to allow such unions in front of the Tokyo District Court on Thursday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2024
Ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, Sapporo High Court rules
This is the first such ruling by a high court in Japan in favor of plaintiffs challenging the ban.
YouTuber and former Upper House member GaaSyy after his release on bail in September
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 14, 2024
YouTuber GaaSyy given suspended prison term for defaming celebrities
GaaSyy's acts seriously threatened the victims, the presiding judge said, causing them “enormous financial damage” through online hate.
A court sketch shows Satoru Nomura, head of the Kudokai crime syndicate (center), and Fumio Tanoue, the group's second-in-command (right), during their sentencing at the Fukuoka High Court on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 12, 2024
Death sentence overturned for Kudokai gang boss
The criminal mastermind remained expressionless and stared directly at the judge as it was announced that the death sentence had been overturned.
Plaintiffs who have filed a lawsuit over Japan's separate surname rule head into the Tokyo District Court on Friday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 8, 2024
Group files lawsuit over Japan law that mandates couples share a surname
Similar lawsuits have been filed before, but public opinion appears to be shifting in favor of allowing couples to have separate surnames.
Motoki Taniguchi (left) and one of his clients, Maurice Shelton, hope their lawsuit can change alleged police practices involving stop-and-search.
PODCAST / deep dive
Mar 8, 2024
A lawsuit puts alleged racial profiling by police on trial in Japan
Three residents with foreign roots have filed a lawsuit claiming Japanese police target visible minorities. We discuss what they hope to achieve.
Located in Ehime Prefecture at the base of the Cape Sada Peninsula, the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant lies about 45 kilometers from the town of Saganoseki within the city of Oita.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 7, 2024
Court rejects class action suit opposing nuclear plant in Ehime
Local residents in Oita, less than 50 kilometers from the facility, had called into question the safety of the plant during natural disasters.
Tokyo headquarters of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, more commonly known as the Unification Church
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2024
Japan panel OKs putting Unification Church under increased scrutiny
Once an organization is designated, it will be obliged to notify authorities of any disposal of its real estate assets at least one month in advance.
Judges at the Kyoto District Court hear a case involving Yoshikazu Okubo, a doctor accused of the consensual killing of a woman with a fatal neurological disease, on Jan. 11.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 6, 2024
Japanese doctor given 18 years for consensual killing of ALS patient
Admitting to charges of commissioned murder, Yoshikazu Okubo had said that he "did it to fulfill (the patient's) wish."
The Cabinet approved a bill on Tuesday to provide a better support for victims of sex crimes and the bereaved families of murder victims.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 5, 2024
Japan to boost legal aid for crime victims and bereaved families
A new bill is designed to reduce the mental and financial burdens of victims and bereaved families.
As people in the public gallery looked on at the Osaka High Court on Friday, lawyers for the appellant and respondent deliberated over evidence and confirmed the judgment date remotely.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Mar 1, 2024
Osaka High Court pioneers remote legal proceedings
Lawyers representing parties in an appeal case joined the hearing via web conferencing to argue their cases.
Investigators at the site of the murder of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with a handmade gun in the city of Nara in July 2022
JAPAN
Mar 1, 2024
Japan bill would punish those who encourage unlawful gun ownership
The bill is also aimed at toughening requirements to qualify for possessing a so-called half-rifle hunting gun.
Maurice Shelton (left) and his lawyer Motoki Taniguchi spoke about alleged racial bias on behalf of the police at a recent press conference.
COMMUNITY / Voices / Black Eye
Feb 29, 2024
Making Japanese history by being Black history
Three individuals have stepped up to try and make a difference in the country we live in. They should be applauded.
Romance scams are designed to exploit individuals emotionally, leading them to part with their money.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 27, 2024
Deceptive lawyer ads exploit victims of romance scams Japan
Some legal practitioners exaggerate their success records in recovering stolen funds and fail to follow through on the collection process.
The Tokyo High Court ruled that there was a causal relationship between Kazuo Ishibashi’s driving and the fatal crash that followed, upholding the Yokohama District Court’s findings and 18-year prison term.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 26, 2024
Tokyo court upholds 18-year prison term for driver over 2017 road rage
Kazuho Ishibashi had deliberately slowed down his vehicle in front of the victim’s car on an expressway, resulting in its rear-ending by a truck.
Under a proposed joint custody system, if parents cannot reach an agreement, a family court would make a decision based on the interests of the child and family relations.
JAPAN
Feb 15, 2024
Government panel proposes allowing joint child custody
Based on the report from the Legislative Council, the government plans to submit a related bill during the ongoing ordinary session of parliament.
Yoshikazu Higashitani, who goes by the name GaaSyy, leaves the Tokyo Detention House on Sept. 21 after being released on bail.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 9, 2024
Four-year prison term sought for ex-lawmaker GaaSyy
GaaSyy, whose real name is Yoshikazu Higashitani, is accused of making threats against actor Go Ayano and others in online videos.
The burned down house in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, where Yuki Endo fatally stabbed the father and mother of an acquaintance in 2021.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 2, 2024
Death sentence finalized for man over 2021 murder committed as minor
The defense team for Yuki Endo filed an appeal at the deadline Thursday, but the defendant withdrew it later in the day, the Kofu District Court said.
Judges at the Kyoto District Court hear a case involving Yoshikazu Okubo, a doctor accused of the consensual killing of a woman with a fatal neurological disease, on Jan. 11. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling on March 5.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Feb 1, 2024
Prosecutors seek 23 years for Japanese doctor in consensual killing case
They claim the accused had an "interest" in killing the elderly and people with disabilities under the false pretense of medical care.
The family law subcommittee of the Legislative Council, at the Justice Ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2024
Government to submit bill allowing joint custody after divorce
The draft outline calls for a new provision obliging both parents to respect each other, and for divorce negotiations to determine parental authority.
Zain Syed (left), a Pakistan-born Japanese citizen; Maurice, a U.S. citizen with permanent residency in Japan; and Matthew, a Pacific Islander with permanent residency, outside the Tokyo District Court in Tokyo on Monday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 29, 2024
Lawsuit filed in Tokyo over alleged racial profiling by police
The plaintiffs are seeking around ¥3 million in damages each from central and local governments in the case, which is the first of its kind.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?