July 8&10, 2015
Aiming to hamper the ruling bloc’s intention to steamroller PM Abe’s war bills through the Lower House this month, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) on July 9 in the Diet building held its second rally calling for the scrapping of the bills.
JFBA President Murakoshi Susumu expressed the association’s determination to kill the bills, saying, “It is unforgivable for the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties to turn their backs on public opinion and to use their majority force to pass the bills through the Diet. The government should withdraw the bills without delay.”
Murakoshi handed over signatures against the bills which the JFBA collected through its signature collection drive to leaders of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, Japan Innovation, and People’s Life parties.
JCP Chair Shii Kazuo delivered a speech in solidarity and said that the majority of the public is regarding the bills as unconstitutional and voicing strong opposition. If the ruling coalition rams through the bills in defiance of these voices, they will totally infringe on Article 9 of the Constitution and Japan’s principle of popular sovereignty, Shii added.
Leaders and executive members of the other four opposition parties in their speeches also expressed their determination to work hard to scrap the bills.
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In Kyoto, 24 former heads of the Kyoto Bar Association on July 7 jointly published a statement. It was the first time for former bar association presidents to release a joint statement. In the statement, the 24 former presidents said that as legal professionals, the Abe Cabinet’s stance to ignore constitutional experts’ ‘unconstitutional’ remarks is unacceptable.
On the following day, 22 former Tochigi Bar Association heads also released their joint statement in protest against the bills.
Past related articles:
> Local bar association heads: war bills are unconstitutional [June 20, 2015]
> JCP & JFBA confirm cooperation to block war legislation [May 16, 2015]
> Japan bar association organizes demonstration against the collective self-defense right [July 18, 2014]
JFBA President Murakoshi Susumu expressed the association’s determination to kill the bills, saying, “It is unforgivable for the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties to turn their backs on public opinion and to use their majority force to pass the bills through the Diet. The government should withdraw the bills without delay.”
Murakoshi handed over signatures against the bills which the JFBA collected through its signature collection drive to leaders of the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, Japan Innovation, and People’s Life parties.
JCP Chair Shii Kazuo delivered a speech in solidarity and said that the majority of the public is regarding the bills as unconstitutional and voicing strong opposition. If the ruling coalition rams through the bills in defiance of these voices, they will totally infringe on Article 9 of the Constitution and Japan’s principle of popular sovereignty, Shii added.
Leaders and executive members of the other four opposition parties in their speeches also expressed their determination to work hard to scrap the bills.
**********
In Kyoto, 24 former heads of the Kyoto Bar Association on July 7 jointly published a statement. It was the first time for former bar association presidents to release a joint statement. In the statement, the 24 former presidents said that as legal professionals, the Abe Cabinet’s stance to ignore constitutional experts’ ‘unconstitutional’ remarks is unacceptable.
On the following day, 22 former Tochigi Bar Association heads also released their joint statement in protest against the bills.
Past related articles:
> Local bar association heads: war bills are unconstitutional [June 20, 2015]
> JCP & JFBA confirm cooperation to block war legislation [May 16, 2015]
> Japan bar association organizes demonstration against the collective self-defense right [July 18, 2014]
