Monthly Updates
November 2022
A Tokyo District Court ruled on 30 November that Japan's ban on same-sex marriage was not unconstitutional and dismissed a case sought by same-sex couples claiming the law provisions violated their freedom of marriage right, guaranteed in the constitution. While endorsing a discriminatory provision is discouraging, human rights analysts point to a glimmer of hope in the court's acknowledgement that the "absence of a legal system for same-sex couples to have a family infringes on their human rights."
October 2022
Japanese cabinet ministers on 14 October approved repealing a discriminatory 19th-century law requiring pregnant women seeking a divorce to wait at least 100 days before remarrying, supposedly imposed to avoid paternity disputes. The revised civil code will be submitted to the parliamentary session that ends on 10 December, with changes expected to be enacted in 2024.
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GSoD Indices Data 2012-2021
Government
Rights
Government
Administration
Engagement
Basic Information
Human Rights Treaties
State party
Signatory
No action
Early Warning System BETA
Low risk of democratic breakdown (BETA)
Low risk of democratic backsliding (BETA)