Japan Press Weekly

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2020 May 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

Christians as well as 90% of lawyers also oppose gov't attempt to meddle with prosecutors

Chairpersons of 46 or about 90% of all the 52 Bar Associations in Japan have released a statement in opposition to the bill to change the mandatory retirement age of public prosecutors, Akahata learned on May 15.

The statement the chairman of the Hakodate Bar Association (Hokkaido Pref.) published on the day criticizes the ruling coalition for pushing ahead with hasty discussions on the bill. It points out, "There is no urgency at all to revise the Public Prosecutors' Office Act in the first place."

The chairman of the Saga Bar Association also made public a protest statement in which he said, "It is hard to understand why the government is in such a hurry to force through the law revision amid the ongoing state of emergency combatting the coronavirus pandemic."

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The Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace on May 15 issued a statement calling for a reconsideration of the bill and Diet discussions on the bill. Catholic bishops in the statement expressed their concerns over the government-proposed bill to revise the Public Prosecutors' Office Act saying, "The law revision could significantly undermine the constitutional principle of the separation of powers."

The statement warns that the government will be able to distort prosecutors' duties to investigate allegations involving the government itself if it is allowed to arbitrarily use its influence on public prosecutors. An abuse of power by prosecutors on behalf of the government "could cause unjust suppression on politics, thoughts, religions, and ideologies."

Past related article:
> Opposition party leaders post video protesting against Cabinet move to meddle with appointment of prosecutors [May 12, 2020]