December 25, 2015
The Fukui District Court on December 24 approved an appeal from Kansai Electric Power Company and overturned its previous injunction against the reactivation of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture.
Just eight months ago, the Fukui District Court ordered the plant operator to not restart Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Takahama NPP in response to a petition for the injunction submitted by nine people living within a 250 km-radius of the plant. The court made this decision based on the recognition that the current nuclear safety standards are unreasonably lax. The utility sought to repeal the injunction in court.
After the ruling, the residents and their supporters rallied in front of the court building. Carrying placards and banners reading, “Stop reactivation plan”, they raised their voices in protest.
Lawyer Ido Ken’ichi, one of the residents’ lawyers, said that when the executive and legislature branches are trampling on human rights by pushing forward with the reactivation plan in defiance of public opposition, only the judiciary branch can put a halt to it. However, he went on to say criticizingly, the latest decision has shown that the judiciary neglected its role to protect the public interest in the check-and-balance system.
A woman coming from Kyoto City said, “I’m so disappointed with and feel sad about the court decision. But now I am even more determined to work with others to create a Japan without nuclear power.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the Takahama Town Assembly Watanabe Takashi said, “The court has given in to pressure from the state and the power company. We will never give up and will keep on fighting.”
The anti-nuke residents plan to appeal to the Nagoya High Court Kanazawa Branch within a week.
Past related articles:
> Fukui district court orders Takahama nuclear power plant to be kept offline [April 15, 2015]
> Local residents welcome court decision banning restart of Takahama NPP [April 15, 2015]
Just eight months ago, the Fukui District Court ordered the plant operator to not restart Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the Takahama NPP in response to a petition for the injunction submitted by nine people living within a 250 km-radius of the plant. The court made this decision based on the recognition that the current nuclear safety standards are unreasonably lax. The utility sought to repeal the injunction in court.
After the ruling, the residents and their supporters rallied in front of the court building. Carrying placards and banners reading, “Stop reactivation plan”, they raised their voices in protest.
Lawyer Ido Ken’ichi, one of the residents’ lawyers, said that when the executive and legislature branches are trampling on human rights by pushing forward with the reactivation plan in defiance of public opposition, only the judiciary branch can put a halt to it. However, he went on to say criticizingly, the latest decision has shown that the judiciary neglected its role to protect the public interest in the check-and-balance system.
A woman coming from Kyoto City said, “I’m so disappointed with and feel sad about the court decision. But now I am even more determined to work with others to create a Japan without nuclear power.”
Japanese Communist Party member of the Takahama Town Assembly Watanabe Takashi said, “The court has given in to pressure from the state and the power company. We will never give up and will keep on fighting.”
The anti-nuke residents plan to appeal to the Nagoya High Court Kanazawa Branch within a week.
Past related articles:
> Fukui district court orders Takahama nuclear power plant to be kept offline [April 15, 2015]
> Local residents welcome court decision banning restart of Takahama NPP [April 15, 2015]
