Right to Know
Information Disclosure
I had the opportunity to meet some Japanese civil liberties lawyers in 1981 and they taught me the importance of people's “right to know.” They were members of the Japan Civil Liberties Union (JCLU), which was established in 1947, the same year that Japan’s democratic constitution came into force.
In those days, JCLU members and other Japanese democracy activists were busy advocating that Japan adopt an “Information Disclosure Law,” to enable anyone to request that government agencies disclose information in their files.
Since then, I have continued my research on the achievements of Japan’s democracy activists. I am very happy to report that more than seventy years after its founding, the JCLU remains a vital force in promoting democratic government.
This website introduces my own writings, the "Courtroom Notes Case" that opened Japan’s courts to spectator reporting, and other topics in Japanese law.
Lawrence Repeta
March 1989
BOOK TOUR !
“Japan's Prisoners of Conscience“
- Protest and Law During the Iraq War -
The English version will be released from Routledge Publishing in November 2022.
In 2004, during the Iraq War, three peace activists were arrested for distributing anti-war leaflets in Japan, and Amnesty International recognized them as "prisoners of conscience" for the first time in Japan.
Based on interviews with people involved and in-depth research, it faithfully recreates scenes from the peace movement and trials, piqued the reader's interest in further questions raised by crackdowns by the police and the rule of law in a democracy.
The thoughts of the arrested activists and their supporters, the passion of civic activists and researchers who stood up for freedom of expression under the constitution, the tense court proceedings, the presiding judge's verdict, and other thrilling developments of the law. It transcends the boundaries of knowledge and captivates a wide range of readers.
With Hiroshi Miyake, an advocate of open government in Japan and former president of the Daini Tokyo Bar Association. "Right to Know" is written by Mr. Miyake, who is also a calligrapher.
Contact
Please contact me for inquiries and requests for speaking engagements.