Japan to Allow Top Court Justice Review by Voters Abroad

Tokyo, Oct. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved a draft bill Thursday to allow Japanese nationals living abroad to vote on whether justices of the country's Supreme Court are qualified for the post.

The bill to revise the law on the national review of the top court justices was presented by the government at an LDP meeting after the court ruled in May that the current law not allowing such voting is unconstitutional.

The bill will be submitted to the current extraordinary session of the Diet, the country's parliament, running until December.

The public offices election law allows Japanese nationals living abroad to cast votes in national elections. But it has no provision on the national review, held on the day of a general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber.

Following the expected revision, the register of Japanese electors living abroad for a Lower House poll will be used also for the justice review.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]