Group Files Lawsuit Seeking To Stop Abe's State Funeral
A group opposed to a state funeral for slain former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is seeking a court injunction on the ceremony and the use of public funds for it.
The Japanese government plans to hold a state funeral for Abe in Tokyo on September 27.
On Tuesday, a group of about 230 academics and lawyers filed a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court, arguing that the government's decision has no legal grounds nor approval of the Diet.
The group claims that the Cabinet arbitrarily exercised its authority with disregard for the Diet, in violation of the country's Constitution.
In a news conference, lawyer Oguchi Akihiko quoted Prime Minister Kishida Fumio as saying the state funeral will show his determination to safeguard democracy.
But the lawyer noted that Kishida allowed the extraordinary session of the Diet to close without explaining the need for a state funeral or its rationality.
Another group of citizens has asked the same court for a provisional ban on the implementation of a budget and other matters linked to Abe's state funeral.
The government claims the Cabinet Office Establishment Act says the office has control over business matters regarding state ceremonies, and so it is clear in legal terms that implementation of ceremonies including state funerals is a part of administrative authority. It maintains that the legal basis for the state funeral is the Cabinet's endorsement of it.