Japan Govt Adopts Bill to Revise Consumer Contract Law

Tokyo, Nov. 18 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government Friday adopted a bill to revise the consumer contract law to enhance relief to victims of so-called spiritual sales and other questionable practices by religious and other groups.

The bill calls for extending the period to exercise the right to cancel contracts under the law to 10 years from the current five years and relaxing the requirements for canceling contracts.

The government will submit the bill to the current session of the Diet, Japan's parliament, aiming for its early enactment.

The present time limit is five years from the conclusion of a contract or one year from when victims became aware of the damage from spiritual sales, which take advantage of anxiety in order to sell goods at high prices.

A panel of experts set up by the Consumer Affairs Agency has been calling for extending the cancellation period because it takes time for victims under mind control to get out of the state.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]