Japan Press Weekly

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2017 July 12 - 18 [POLITICS]

Bar associations across Japan call for revocation of anti-conspiracy law

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations and 36 of its 52 member associations released statements expressing their determination to increase their efforts to abolish the anti-conspiracy law, Akahata on July 13 reported.

The anti-conspiracy law was implemented on July 11 following the forcible passage in the House of Councilors last month. In order to bulldoze through the law, the ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei coalition used the tactic of not taking a vote in a prior committee meeting in breach of Diet rules.

The Tochigi Bar Association, one of the 36 bar associations, in its statement criticized the steamrolling through of the controversial law as a “major stain on the process of constitutional politics of postwar Japan”. The Fukushima Bar Association stated that the ruling parties’ method of forcing through the passage of the legislation disregarded public sovereignty.

When a bill to criminalize conspiracy was proposed to the Diet, JFBA expressed its opposition and launched a campaign for the abolition of the bill. All the 52 JFBA member associations also published statements calling for the withdrawal of the bill.

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Akahata reported that since the anti-conspiracy bill forcibly became law, a move to adopt a statement demanding the repeal of the anti-conspiracy law has spread among municipal assemblies. According to Akahata, as of July 12, at least 17 local assemblies adopted statements opposing the creation of the law.

Past related articles:
> JFBA holds study meeting to abolish ‘anti-conspiracy’ law [June 22, 2017]
> Strengthen public movement to abolish unconstitutional ‘anti-conspiracy law’ [JJune 16, 2017]