Japan Press Weekly

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2013 June 5 - 11 [POLITICS]

Legal community concerned about conspiracy bill

The Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) on June 4 held a study session at the Dietmembers’ Office Building to oppose a “crime of conspiracy” bill which would enable state authorities to arrest anyone involved in what is identified as a “conspiracy” even if nothing has been specifically prepared to commit any crime.

Lawyers and jurists are concerned that although such a bill proposal has been scrapped three times before due to strong public opposition, the Abe government may submit a similar bill again to the Diet after the national election this summer.

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Inoue Satoshi during the study session said, “Together with legal professionals, the JCP will work hard to increase public opposition to such a move to prevent this country from going to extremes to restrain its people.”

Fukushima Mizuho, head of the Social Democratic Party, was also present at the study session.

Many concerned citizens are worried that the introduction of new investigative approaches under a conspiracy law and a secret protection law, both currently being discussed in the Legislative Council of the Justice Ministry, may bring about a re-emergence of excessive police authority and power like in prewar and wartime Japan.

The government has explained that a conspiracy law is necessary in preparation for Japan’s ratification of the 2000 UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. However, the JFBA says that existing domestic laws are sufficient to cover all the provisions of the UN covenant.

Judging from the fact that law enforcement agencies in both Japan and the United States have demonstrated a consistent desire for the creation of a crime of conspiracy law, some sort of bill in this regard will likely make its appearance in the Diet after the mid-July Upper House election.