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| Top Japanese Court Stops Short of Nullifying 2012 Vote | Top Japanese Court Stops Short of Nullifying 2012 Vote |
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| TOKYO — In a widely watched ruling, Japan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday called last year’s parliamentary elections out of compliance with the Constitution because of inequalities in the size of voting districts, but stopped short of declaring the results invalid. | TOKYO — In a widely watched ruling, Japan’s Supreme Court on Wednesday called last year’s parliamentary elections out of compliance with the Constitution because of inequalities in the size of voting districts, but stopped short of declaring the results invalid. |
| The court, the nation’s highest, was ruling on 16 separate lawsuits that had been filed by lawyers in different courts around Japan seeking to nullify results in December’s lower house elections, which returned to power the Liberal Democratic Party of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Those lawsuits sought to invalidate the results on the grounds that the number of voters in some districts, mostly rural ones, was far fewer than in other mostly urban districts, giving rural voters greater power in Parliament. | |
| Earlier this year, two of those lawsuits won unprecedented decisions by lower courts that declared invalid the results in two districts. While there had been growing expectations that the Supreme Court might take a similarly activist stance on an issue that has long bedeviled Japanese elections, the judges did not go that far. | Earlier this year, two of those lawsuits won unprecedented decisions by lower courts that declared invalid the results in two districts. While there had been growing expectations that the Supreme Court might take a similarly activist stance on an issue that has long bedeviled Japanese elections, the judges did not go that far. |
| Instead, the court declared the elections to be “in a state of unconstitutionality” while requiring no remedial action beyond vaguely urging lawmakers to fix the problem. That is the same ruling that the court has made in several similar cases going back more than two decades. | Instead, the court declared the elections to be “in a state of unconstitutionality” while requiring no remedial action beyond vaguely urging lawmakers to fix the problem. That is the same ruling that the court has made in several similar cases going back more than two decades. |
| The court suggested that stronger action was unnecessary because Parliament had already taken steps to shrink the gaps in district sizes, and is considering new legislation that would further reduce those inequalities. | The court suggested that stronger action was unnecessary because Parliament had already taken steps to shrink the gaps in district sizes, and is considering new legislation that would further reduce those inequalities. |
| Still, the lawyers who filed the lawsuits noted that yawning discrepancies in the size of election districts remain, with the largest district having 2.43 times more voters than the least populated district in the December elections. Some political scientists have blamed these differences for making Japan resistant to change despite its long decline, and say they empower conservative rural voters at the expense of urban residents, who might be more willing to challenge vested interests. | Still, the lawyers who filed the lawsuits noted that yawning discrepancies in the size of election districts remain, with the largest district having 2.43 times more voters than the least populated district in the December elections. Some political scientists have blamed these differences for making Japan resistant to change despite its long decline, and say they empower conservative rural voters at the expense of urban residents, who might be more willing to challenge vested interests. |
| “This ruling does not answer our argument” about the need to fix the district inequalities, said Hidetoshi Masunaga, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuits. “In this regard, today’s ruling was completely inadequate.” | “This ruling does not answer our argument” about the need to fix the district inequalities, said Hidetoshi Masunaga, one of the lawyers who filed the lawsuits. “In this regard, today’s ruling was completely inadequate.” |