Citizen's Examination “Illegal if next time overseas vote is not possible” first judgment Tokyo High Court June 25, 18:28
A Japanese citizen living in the U.S.A. and others cannot vote abroad in a national examination by a judge of the Supreme Court, which is held in conjunction with the Lower House election, is a lawsuit that complained of violating the constitution. It was judged that it was a violation of the Constitution, and it was the first judgment that it would be illegal if a foreign vote could not be made in the next national examination.
Five Japanese men and women living in the United States, Brazil, etc., complained that they could vote abroad in the Lower House elections and the Upper House elections, but could not vote in the national examination of judges of the Supreme Court.
In a decision by the two courts on the 25th, the Tokyo High Court President Justice Jun Abe pointed out that "it is sufficiently possible to vote for national examination in the same way as in the overseas election, and not allowing it at all violates the Constitution", 1 Following the trial, I determined that the constitution was violated.
Furthermore, regarding the next national examination, he said, "If you can't vote, you can't get relief."
Kazuhiro Soda, a film director who lives in the United States who filed a lawsuit, said in a press conference, "The national examination tends to be seen as a downgrade, but I am very happy with the important right guaranteed in the democratic system. We want the country to promptly revise the system so that it can exercise its rights."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications issued a comment saying, "I want to scrutinize the content of the judgment and take appropriate measures."