4th Court Finds July Upper House Poll in Unconstitutional State

Hiroshima, Oct. 28 (Jiji Press)--Hiroshima High Court became the fourth court in Japan on Friday to rule that the House of Councillors election in July was held in a state of unconstitutionality in terms of vote-value disparities.

The ruling was the sixth on a total of 16 lawsuits that have been filed with high courts and high court branches across the country by two groups of lawyers over the election, in which the maximum gap in the value of votes between the constituencies with the highest and lowest numbers of eligible voters was 3.03 times.

The remaining courts are slated to give rulings by Nov. 15, and the Supreme Court is expected later to issue a unified decision.

At the Hiroshima court in western Japan, Presiding Judge Kunihiko Yokomizo said the situation was significantly unfair and could raise suspicion that the Upper House election was unconstitutional.

The court, meanwhile, rejected the plaintiffs' demand to nullify the election results.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]