Japan Top Court Finalizes Dissolution Order for Unification Church

Tokyo, June 23 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Supreme Court has rejected a special appeal filed by the Unification Church against lower court rulings ordering the dissolution of the controversial religious group. In a ruling issued Monday, the court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Eriko Watanabe, said the dissolution order “does not violate the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion and association.” All four justices supported the ruling. This is the first time the top court has finalized a dissolution order for a religious corporation over tortious acts under the Civil Code. In October 2023, the education ministry filed for a court order to dissolve the Unification Church, following the fatal shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022. The attack is believed to have been motivated by alleged ties between the group and Abe. Tokyo District Court issued the dissolution order in March last year, and Tokyo High Court dismissed an appeal filed by the group in March this year. Following the high court’s decision, the dissolution order took effect, and liquidation procedures for the group are currently underway. The Supreme Court found that the Unification Church’s continued solicitation of donations over long periods hurt many people financially and psychologically, and ruled that the group clearly committed acts that substantially harmed public welfare, a situation that warrants a dissolution order under the Religious Corporations Act. Noting that the group could continue soliciting donations from its followers and others, the top court concluded that dissolving the group and stripping it of its status as a religious corporation was the only effective choice. The top court added that the dissolution order is inevitable despite its impact on the psychological and religious aspects of the group and its members. In May, the Supreme Court rejected the religious group’s request to remove Justice Masami Okino from the case, citing her past remarks about the group. Nevertheless, Okino did not take part in the case. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]