Japan to Examine Tougher Defamation Penalties

   Tokyo, July 8 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese Justice Ministry will set up an expert panel to examine the implementation of penalties for defamation that were toughened three years ago, Justice Minister Keisuke Suzuki said Tuesday.
   The panel will discuss whether the tougher penalties are effective in preventing defamatory online posts and whether they restrain freedom of expression, starting as early as September.
   The penalties were toughened in June 2022 under a revised Panel Code after professional wrestler Hana Kimura, then 22, committed suicide after facing relentless criticism online.
   At present, the crime of defamation carries a prison term of up to a year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen, tougher than less than 30 days of detention or a fine of less than 10,000 yen previously.
   The revised Penal Code stipulates that the implementation of the tougher penalties is examined by officials and outside experts three years after it went into force.

(2025/07/08-12:55)

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