Basic settlement reached on Hansen's disease suit

The government has accepted its legal responsibility for the sufferings former leprosy patients had to endure for decades and agreed to pay compensation to former leprosy patients.

Western Japan lawsuit

The first out-of-court settlement was reached on July 19 in the Kumamoto District Court between the government and the Western Japan Plaintiffs Group. The government agreed to pay a total of about 1.14 billion yen in compensation to 94 former leprosy patients.

Eastern Japan lawsuit

On July 23 the Tokyo District Court, the government, and the Eastern Japan Plaintiffs Group signed an agreement on an out-of-court settlement in which the government apologized to former leprosy patients and promised to pay them compensation, and establish long-term steps for supporting their living conditions.

More to follow

These latest agreements will be followed in July by other suits filed by a total of 2,000 former leprosy patients with Okayama District Courts.

Commenting on the basic agreement, Kodama Yuji, acting chair of the National Liaison Council of Plaintiffs Groups, said, "We finally won the settlement after overcoming the resistance of the state. Now that the government has accepted its responsibility, we'll continue actions toward a comprehensive solution of specific problems based on the agreement."

The central government has persistently tried to avoid admitting state responsibility even in a 'statement' it published following the May 11 Kumamoto District Court ruling in which the government gave up appealing to a higher court, and in the negotiations with plaintiffs' groups. Visits to Hansen disease isolation sanatoriums by Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry top officials were carried out under the name of 'inspection' and not for 'apology.'

Toyota Makoto, leader of the lawyers' group for the plaintiffs, said that the state's apology to former patients is of a historic significance. (end)