"Freedom to marry for all" - An announcement from the Kyushu Bar Association.

The ruling issued by the Fukuoka High Court on December 13, 2024 was

The court acknowledged the violation of Articles 13, 14 Paragraph 1, and 24 Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, and further stated, "Simply put, unless the use of the legal marriage system in the same way as heterosexual marriage is recognized, the violation of Article 14 Paragraph 1 of the Constitution will not be resolved," making it an excellent ruling that made it clear that a system separate from marriage would not be acceptable and that marriage was required.

However , on the day the verdict was handed down, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi responded (at a press conference) that he would continue to keep a close eye on the case.

Furthermore, although Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Foreign Minister Keisuke Suzuki stated that happiness levels would increase if same-sex marriage were recognized, there was no concrete talk about amending the law to allow same-sex couples to marry.

Thus, unconstitutional rulings have continued, and even though the Fukuoka ruling made it clear that marriage is required, the Diet and the government have not taken any action, so on December 26th the plaintiffs appealed.

In the future,

Within 50 days of receiving the notice of appeal, the plaintiff must submit a written statement of the reasons for the appeal or for the acceptance of the appeal to the Fukuoka High Court.

If the grounds for appeal meet the prescribed formalities, the Fukuoka High Court will send the case to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court will then notify you of this once it has received the case (in the Hokkaido lawsuit, the notification was made on June 21, 2024 (approximately three months after the High Court ruling)).

The Supreme Court does not meet in court as frequently as district and high courts, and when it does meet, it only meets once for arguments.

A verdict will then be given.

There are a total of 30 plaintiffs and legal teams from Kyushu.

We don't know when the arguments will be made or when the verdict will be announced, but we would appreciate your continued support.

We would appreciate a donation so that we can all travel to Tokyo and attend the arguments and verdicts at the Supreme Court.

Thank you very much.

Regarding the "Freedom of Marriage for All" Tokyo Second Lawsuit, the Tokyo Bar Association has announced the date for the second oral argument hearing in the appeals court and the hearing report session.

The "Freedom of Marriage for All" Tokyo Second Lawsuit is currently being heard in the appeals court (more information on the appeal here ), and the second oral argument hearing will be held on January 28, 2025.

At this hearing, the appellants (plaintiffs) Kawachi and Hatogai, as well as the Tokyo Bar Association, are scheduled to make statements.

Your support in various ways, such as attending court hearings, participating in and viewing court report sessions, and posting on social media, will help us. We appreciate your continued support.

[Second oral hearing in the appeal trial]

Date and time: Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 3:00 p.m.

Venue: Tokyo High Court, Courtroom 101

Case number and case name: Reiwa 6 (Ne) No. 1861 "Freedom of Marriage for All" lawsuit appeal case

◆ Lottery for spectators

As it is expected that there will be a large number of people wishing to observe the trial, the court may distribute numbered tickets on the day and hold a lottery. Details on the distribution of numbered tickets will be announced on the court's official website about one week before the trial, so please refer to the URL below.

https://www.courts.go.jp/app/botyokoufu_jp/list?id=6

[Date Reporting Session]

After the deadline, a report session will be held (details on time, location, distribution, etc. will be announced at a later date).

<X (formerly Twitter)>

The latest information on the "Freedom to Marry for All" Tokyo lawsuit (first and second phases) is being posted on the Tokyo Bar Association's X account (@KejisubeTokyo) as it becomes available.

We would also like to ask you to please support the National Kejisube Plaintiffs Group (@kejisubegenkoku), which is a direct message from plaintiffs across the country in the "Freedom to Marry for All" lawsuit.

Tokyo Defense Team’s X account: https://twitter.com/KejisubeTokyo

Kejisube Plaintiffs' X Account ⇒ https://twitter.com/kejisubegenkoku

＜CALL4＞

Once the documents to be submitted to the court are prepared, they will be made public as soon as possible on the case site of the public litigation support site CALL4.

CALL4 case site ⇒ https://www.call4.jp/info.php?type=items&id=I0000031

<Donations>

Support and donations to the nationwide "Freedom to Marry for All" litigation legal team are also being accepted through the "Support Us" section on the CALL4 case site.

⇒ https://www.call4.jp/pay_regist.php?type=pay&items_id=I0000031

"Freedom of Marriage for All" Aichi Lawsuit: Report on the Fifth Appeal Hearing [Conclusion]

Date and time: December 12, 2024 (Thursday) 11:00

Venue: Nagoya High Court, Courtroom No. 1

Judges: Presiding Judge Nobuhiro Katada Judge Makiko Yamamoto Judge Yasutomo Mitsuhashi

Contents:

1. Conclusion

The respondent (the government) had stated that it might refute and refute the appellant's (plaintiff's) tenth preparatory brief submitted at the previous hearing (a document outlining how the disadvantages of being excluded from the marriage system have not been eliminated or mitigated by efforts by local governments and companies, etc.).

However, in the end, the trial came to a conclusion without any refutation or refutation of the allegations.

2. Statement of Opinion

As this was the final trial, the appellant Takami and his lawyer Mizutani Yoko gave speeches (statements) regarding the verdict.

The contents of the speeches can be read in the " Freedom to Marry for All (Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit) " lawsuit documents tab on Call4, under High Court > Other > "Summary of Appellant Takami's Statement of Opinion" and "Summary of Attorney Mizutani's Statement of Opinion."

3. Judgment date

Friday, March 7, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (Judgment)

Nagoya High Court, Courtroom No. 1

The next hearing is a verdict date, so there may be a lottery for attendance. The lottery time and meeting place will be announced on the court's website a few days before the hearing, so please check before attending. We will also announce it on Lawyers X and CALL4, so please check them as well.

After the verdict, a flag-raising ceremony will be held in front of the court. In addition, a press conference will be held from 2:00 p.m., and a verdict report session will be held from 3:30 p.m., so please join us, whether you were able to attend the hearing or not.

4. Report on the hearing tour

At this hearing, we had a tour led by Goto Ayani (Co-representative of Nagoya Rainbow Pride)!

This time, too, there were several people who were attending a hearing for the first time, and even though the date was set at short notice, in the end about 50 people came to observe the hearing.

About 10 people came to the press box to cover the case, indicating the high level of attention this lawsuit is receiving.

5. Report on the press conference

After the hearing, a press conference was held where the defense team explained the details of the hearing and future plans.

Takami shared his thoughts about the ruling, including his hopes for the Nagoya High Court's ruling, given that high courts in other regions continue to rule laws unconstitutional, and his hope that the government will take action without waiting for the Supreme Court.

In addition, lawyer Yoko Mizutani from the defense team explained that she wanted to convey to the judge that there are sexual minorities in the legal profession as well, and that she went to make her statement with the desire not to place the burden solely on the plaintiffs.

6. Deadline Reporting Session

On the same day as the hearing, an online hearing report was held from 7:30 pm, moderated by lawyer Akiko Yazaki of the defense team.

First, the Aichi Bar Association reviewed the past hearings and reported on the content of the oral argument hearing at the fifth hearing of the appeal court. Then, Ayani Goto (Co-representative of Nagoya Rainbow Pride) reported on the tour and shared his impressions of the hearing.

We received many messages of support from viewers, including comments on the statements made at this hearing and messages of support for the verdict. Thank you very much.

The report session is available as an archived video on YouTube, so please take a look ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlBIk2q7y-o ).

The next hearing will be the verdict date. After the verdict is announced, we will hold a report session both on-site and online, so please come and join us.

For those who want to support the Aichi lawsuit even more!

Thank you for your continued support of the Aichi lawsuit.

Your support, whether it be attending court hearings or trial briefings, donating to Call4, or sharing information about the lawsuit on social media, is a great encouragement to the plaintiffs and their legal team.

Thank you for your continued support.

"Freedom to marry for all" - An announcement from the Kyushu Bar Association.

This is a report on the Fukuoka High Court ruling.

Venue: Fukuoka District Court, Courtroom No. 101

Judges: Judge Takeshi Okada, Judge Hironari Kishimoto, and Judge Maiko Takechi

Judgment date and time: December 13, 2024 11:00

1. Scene from the courtroom

On the day of the sentencing hearing, a great number of people came to observe the hearing. 210 lottery tickets were distributed for the 73 seats available for spectators. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of the people did not win the lottery, but the support of so many people was very encouraging.

The trial began at 11 a.m., and the presiding judge read out a summary of the verdict after stating, "The appeal is dismissed."

First, the ruling on the allegation of violation of Article 13 of the Constitution was read out. The decision on whether to marry and who to choose as a marriage partner is left to the free and equal decision-making of both parties, and in that sense, the dignity of individuals in marriage is guaranteed. The presiding judge went on to say that the Constitution not only guarantees individual freedom in marriage, but also recognizes the right to be protected by a legal system regarding the establishment and maintenance of marriage, and that this is one of the rights to pursue happiness recognized by Article 13 of the Constitution.

At this point in the defense team, there was surprise at the court's positive findings, along with anxiety that the court might say something like, "However..." that would overturn the conclusion.

However, the presiding judge did not say "however," but instead simply read out his conclusion, after "therefore," that the provisions in question that exclude same-sex couples from the marriage system are an infringement of the right to pursue happiness and are contrary to Article 13 of the Constitution.

At that moment, a quiet murmur spread throughout the courtroom, and people were seen raising their clenched hands to their chests and repeatedly giving small fist pumps.

While the shock of the violation of Article 13 had still not worn off, the presiding judge moved on to Articles 14 and 24. Although the presiding judge's tone and attitude were calm, he clearly stated the violation of Articles 14 and 24, paragraph 2, and ended his reading by referring to the requirements under the State Compensation Act (the claim for state compensation was not allowed).

At that point, there was an atmosphere of confusion in the courtroom, as to whether the contents of the verdict should be accepted as reality, but after the judge left the courtroom, applause erupted from the plaintiffs, their lawyers, and the spectators. Smiles were everywhere in the courtroom, and before we knew it, many people had tears in their eyes.

The summary of the judgment and the ruling are available on Call4. Please read them for yourself.

There is also an archived video of the flag raising ceremony in front of the courthouse. Please take a look.

2. Press conferences and reporting meetings

At the report meeting, Ishii, co-chair of the legal team, explained that the Kyushu lawsuit for Freedom to Marry for All was filed seven months after the nationwide lawsuit, and that what distinguishes the Kyushu lawsuit from other district court lawsuits is that it asserted a violation of the Constitution under Article 13 alone from the complaint stage .

A list of documents submitted to the court in the Kyushu lawsuit can be found here , with links to the documents also provided.

Afterwards, Co-chair Mori reported on the contents of the ruling and its significance.

Attorney Mori introduced a statement from the defense team , pointing out that the ruling states , "Simply put, unless the use of the legal marriage system in the same way as heterosexual marriage is permitted, the violation of Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution will not be resolved," making it clear that a system separate from marriage would not be acceptable.

Masahiro commented that "the ruling brought us one step closer to getting married," and Kosuke said that he hoped the ruling would be enacted as soon as possible. Kozo commented that he had been nervous for two days leading up to this day, and Yuta shared a story from the courtroom where "Kozo was crying next to me."

Coco and Miko also sent the following message:

I feel relieved after receiving this ruling. But when I think about the future, I realize that we are still on a long journey. 2025 is almost here, but every time a new year comes around, I realize how long this trial has taken. I have decided not to give up until same-sex marriage is a reality in Japan, but sometimes I feel anxious about the uncertainty of what the future holds.

In the midst of all this uncertainty, I feel truly warmed by the presence of the Kyushu Bar Association team, my fellow plaintiffs, and all of our supporters who are supporting this trial. Thank you so much for everything. And I look forward to your continued support.

I would also like to take this opportunity to say something to the Diet members who are in a position to realize same-sex marriage. It's a short message. Please listen without taking it too lightly.

Love has rights!

I'll say it again.

Love has rights!

I will say it again and again.

Love has rights!

We hope our voices are heard!!!

At the press conference that followed, questions from reporters continued uninterrupted for two and a half hours. Most of the questions were, as expected, about the ruling on the violation of Article 13 of the Constitution. Given that a distinctive feature of the Kyushu lawsuit was that it asserted the violation of Article 13 alone, many questions were asked about how to interpret the ruling.

In response to the question, "How would you rate this ruling in comparison to other district courts?" Co-chair Mori commented, "Everyone wins in their own way. In the Kyushu lawsuit, the court recognized our unique assertion of Article 13. We get 100 points."

After the press conference, we received comments from the defense teams from around the country, introduced the members of the Kyushu defense team, took a commemorative photo, and concluded the report meeting. The live broadcasts of the press conference and report meeting are archived. Please take a look.

After the report meeting, the participants were divided into small groups and held talk sessions. It was clear that each group was conducted in a friendly atmosphere. There were exchanges that looked back on the lawsuits so far, and there were also times when participants confirmed their determination to continue working hard in the future. Thank you to everyone who participated.

3. Conclusion

In the appeal court of the Kyushu lawsuit, we were able to win the cases for violation of Article 13, Article 14, and Article 24, paragraph 2, and the verdict was reached in a very favorable manner. Thank you very much to everyone who supported us by attending the hearings, etc.

I believe that this ruling will provide strong support for the legalization of same-sex marriage, and I will continue to do my utmost until it becomes a reality. I would appreciate your continued support.

The Aichi lawsuit, "Freedom to Marry for All," has finally reached its final hearing (conclusion) before the verdict is announced in December 2024.

The court has announced that the verdict will be set for March 7th next year.

Please support us by attending the hearing.

■ Conclusion (last hearing before verdict)

[5th oral argument date]

Date and time: December 12, 2024 (Thursday) 11:00am

Location: Nagoya High Court, 1st floor, Courtroom 1 (same building as Nagoya District Court)

Contents: Statement of opinion (speech) by appellant Takami and his legal team

*Access to the hearing is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no lottery.

Please allow yourself plenty of time as your baggage will be checked before entering the courthouse.

[Observation tour]

The ever-popular tour will be held again this year!

We will meet at Exit 1 of Marunouchi Station on the subway at 10:00 a.m. and head to the court together.

If you are nervous about attending a trial for the first time, come along and join us at the courthouse.

[Date Reporting Session]

It will be streamed online on the Youtube Malifaux channel that evening.

The Aichi Bar Association will report and explain the contents of the hearing.

Please watch this video whether you were able to attend the hearing on the day or not.

■ Judgment date

[Judgment date]

Date and time: Friday, March 7, 2025, 11:00 a.m. (estimated)

*This is not yet an official decision.

Procedurally, the date will be officially designated and a decision will be made on December 12th.

Location: Nagoya High Court, 1st floor, Courtroom 1 (same building as Nagoya District Court)

Contents: The verdict will be handed down by the Nagoya High Court.

*There may be a lottery for attending.

After the hearing, a flag-raising event will be held in front of the courthouse.

[Press conference/reporting session]

In the afternoon, a press conference and a verdict report session for supporters will be held in the International Center Annex Hall.

The public will be able to watch the press conference at the venue.

The verdict report will also be streamed online.

Details such as start time and distribution will be announced at a later date.

■ Latest litigation-related information

We will be posting updates on the legal team's account (formerly Twitter). Please take a look.

https://x.com/mfajaichibengo

■Litigation documents

Litigation documents that can be made public are posted on Call4 ( https://www.call4.jp/info.php?type=items&id=I0000031 ).

*The transcript of the speech at the fifth hearing of the appeal trial will be made public after the hearing.

This is a report on the fourth hearing of the appeal court in the Aichi lawsuit, "Freedom of Marriage for All."

Date and time: November 5, 2024 11:00

Venue: Nagoya High Court, Courtroom No. 1

1. Confirmation of submitted documents and evidence

The respondent (the state) has submitted a written rebuttal to the appellant's (plaintiff's) written arguments.

The appellant submitted two written arguments. The first compared the main domestic and international facts related to the realization of marriage equality with the state of debate in the legislature, making clear that despite the widespread social awareness calling for same-sex couples to use the marriage system, the legislature has not given any concrete consideration to the issue.

Secondly, we clarified which of the disadvantages that same-sex couples face under the law can be eliminated or mitigated through partnership systems and corporate initiatives, and which cannot. We made it clear that it cannot be said that the disadvantages have been eliminated or mitigated.

The documents can be read on Call4 under the "Freedom to Marry for All (Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit)" lawsuit documents tab, under High Court > Arguments, "Preparatory Brief No. 9" and "Preparatory Brief No. 10."

2. Summary statement

Regarding the documents submitted this time, lawyers Kaoru Sunahara and Satoshi Horie from the defense team each gave a speech outlining the key points.

You can read the speech manuscript under the litigation materials tab of Call4 , " Freedom to Marry for All (Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit) , " under High Court > Other > "Summary of Counsel's Opinion Statement."

3. Future dates

■ Next hearing (last hearing before verdict)

Thursday, December 12, 2024, 11:00 a.m. (5th oral argument)

Nagoya High Court, Courtroom No. 1

Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis (there is no lottery).

If the state has any objections, they will be submitted in writing.

The case is expected to conclude at the next hearing, so the appellant Takami and his attorney will be giving summary speeches.

■ Judgment date

The verdict is scheduled to be handed down at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, March 7, 2025.

The date of the verdict has not been officially decided, but it is expected to be on this date unless the conclusion date is delayed.

4. Report on the Observation Tour

For this hearing, a tour was held, organized by Naoya Matsumoto (Team.S@Toyoda). This time, too, there were many people who came to observe a hearing for the first time, and in the end, 65 people came to observe the hearing.

The next trial is scheduled to be the final one, and it will be your last chance to support the trial before the verdict is reached. Please come and watch the trial. We will inform you of the availability and details of the next tour on Lawyers' Group X (formerly Twitter https://x.com/mfajaichibengo ) and CALL4 at a later date.

We hope that many of you will come and watch the hearing so that we can fill the gallery to capacity!

5. Report on the press conference

After the hearing, a press conference was held where the defense team explained the content of the hearing and future plans, and then the appellant, Mr. Takami, gave a comment.

Takami stated that being able to marry people who love each other, whether they are male or female, is necessary to protect human rights, and that he hopes that the government and the judiciary system will take this into consideration when making decisions and acting accordingly.

6. Deadline report meeting

On the same day as the hearing, an online hearing report was held at 7:00 p.m., moderated by lawyer Akiko Yazaki of the defense team.

In the first part, the Aichi Bar Association reported on the content of the written arguments and exchanges at the fourth oral argument hearing of the appeal court. In addition, Naoya Matsumoto (Team.S@Toyoda) reported on the third observation tour.

In the second part, lawyers from other regions were invited to speak about the status of the local lawsuits. Attorney Miho Kumazawa from the Tokyo legal team spoke about her reaction to the High Court ruling in the first Tokyo lawsuit last month and the progress of the second Tokyo lawsuit, while lawyer Aika Iwahashi from the Kyushu legal team spoke about her enthusiasm for the upcoming High Court ruling in the Kyushu lawsuit next month.

We have received many messages of support and thoughts from viewers about this hearing and this trial. Thank you very much.

The report session is available as an archived video on YouTube, so please take a look.

For those who want to support the Aichi lawsuit even more!

Thank you for your continued support of the Aichi lawsuit.

Your support, whether it be attending court hearings or trial briefings, donating to Call4, or sharing information about the lawsuit on social media, is a great encouragement to the plaintiffs and their legal team.

Information regarding the next hearing and the date of the judgment will be posted on Lawyers Group X (https://x.com/mfajaichibengo) from time to time. Please help us by checking and spreading the information.

Thank you for your continued support.

sorry.

This is a message from the Tokyo Bar Association.

On October 30, 2024, the Tokyo High Court handed down its ruling on the appeal in the Tokyo First "Freedom of Marriage for All" Lawsuit (filed on February 14, 2019), marking the seventh unconstitutional ruling in the "Freedom of Marriage for All" lawsuit series.

We also filed an appeal on this lawsuit on November 8th.

1. Judgment date

Date and time: Wednesday, October 30, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

Venue: Tokyo High Court, Courtroom 101

Judges: Presiding Judge Sonoe Taniguchi, Judge Yoshiaki Shibata, and Judge Kazuhiro Yamaguchi (Second Civil Division)

Attendance: 5 appellants, 22 representatives of the appellee and others, 3 representatives of the appellee

Click here for the summary of the ruling

Click here for the full ruling

• You can watch the YouTube archive of the flag-raising ceremony immediately after the verdict here .

2. Summary of the ruling

This judgment positioned marriage as a system that recognizes the intimate personal bond between the parties as socially legitimate and provides certain effects, and pointed out that the Civil Code does not recognize only a family consisting of a married couple and their children as a socially legitimate form of family, and that the purpose of marriage has been understood to be one that emphasizes the permanent relationship between the parties rather than the reproduction of children. The judgment also stated that the ability to form a legal status relationship as a spouse through a permanent personal bond with a partner who has been determined to be a life partner through marriage should be fully respected as an important legal interest linked to an individual's personal existence. Based on this, it was stated that there is no rational basis for the distinction that people with same-sex sexual orientation cannot obtain this important legal interest or the legal effects that accompany it, and that the current law's failure to include provisions for the formation of a legal status relationship as a spouse equivalent to Article 739 of the Civil Code is unconstitutional, violating both Article 14, paragraph 1 and Article 24, paragraph 2 of the Constitution.

On the other hand, the unconstitutionality of the act was not yet clear to the Diet at this point, and the claim itself was dismissed, as it could not be considered illegal under the State Compensation Act.

3. Significance of this ruling

This ruling is the second in the series of "Freedom of Marriage for All" lawsuits, following the Sapporo High Court ruling on March 14th of this year, and following the Sapporo High Court's ruling, it has clearly determined that the current laws are unconstitutional. It is significant in that it directly determined the unconstitutionality of the lack of provisions regarding the formation of a legal status relationship as a spouse, which corresponds to Article 739 of the Civil Code, and acknowledged that this violates Article 14, paragraph 1 and Article 24, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, and called on the Diet to eliminate the above distinction through legislative measures.

In addition, while acknowledging that the Diet has discretion with regard to specific legislation, the report also notes that there are limits to the Diet's legislative discretion, stating that there is a constitutional requirement that such legislation must be based on respect for individuals (Article 13 of the Constitution) and equality under the law (Article 14), and that applying different rules to the rights that naturally arise from the status of spouse than to marriage between a man and a woman could be a violation of Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution.In this respect, too, the report is highly commendable.

Regarding this ruling, the Tokyo Lawyers' Team for the "Freedom of Marriage for All" Lawsuit and the National Lawyers' Liaison Council for the "Freedom of Marriage for All" Lawsuit have issued a statement. For more information, please click here .

○ Statement by the legal team (posted on the CALL4 website)

https://www.call4.jp/file/pdf/202411/d8405c1088442d65f4762b910c046216.pdf

4. Press conference and verdict report meeting

After the verdict, a press conference and verdict report session were held.
 The archive of the broadcast on YouTube is here

4. Appeal

The Tokyo High Court's ruling was very significant in that it declared the current law unconstitutional, but it also dismissed the claim, stating that the legislative inaction at this point cannot be said to be illegal under the State Compensation Act. Unfortunately, there is no prospect of legislation being passed in the Diet, and the government remains reluctant to legalize same-sex marriage.

Therefore, we appealed on November 8, 2024.

I hope that the Supreme Court will take a step further in its decision, and that the Diet will move quickly toward legislation.

5. Conclusion

In the Tokyo High Court's recent ruling, the current law does not include any provisions regarding the creation of a legal status relationship as a spouse for same-sex personal relationships, clearly ruling that the law is unconstitutional and thus violates Article 14, paragraph 1 and Article 24, paragraph 2 of the Constitution.

Approximately five years and eight months have passed since the nationwide lawsuit was filed on February 14, 2019. During this time, six district court rulings and two high court rulings have been handed down in the series of "Freedom to Marry for All" lawsuits, and all but one of them have declared the laws unconstitutional.

We would like to once again express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and encouraged the "Freedom to Marry for All" lawsuits and our activities across the country.

With regard to the Tokyo First Lawsuit, an appeal has been filed, and the battle will now move to the Supreme Court. The Tokyo Second Lawsuit is currently undergoing appeal hearings at the Tokyo High Court (the next oral argument hearing is scheduled for January 28, 2025 at 3 p.m.).

The plaintiffs and lawyers in the first and second Tokyo lawsuits will continue to do their utmost until freedom and equality in marriage is realized, and until the dignity of sexual minorities is truly restored.

Court documents, opinion statements, and judgments from the "Freedom of Marriage for All" Tokyo lawsuit can be found on the CALL4 case site   The latest information is also posted on the official Twitter account of the Tokyo Bar Association @KejisubeTokyo .

Donations can also be made to the CALL4 case site   Donations can be made through the website. Donations received will be used to cover the actual costs of the "Freedom to Marry For All" lawsuits in various locations (excluding legal fees), so we hope you will also consider making a donation through this website.

Let's raise our voices together until we can create a society in Japan that guarantees "freedom of marriage for all"! Your support will help us. We appreciate your continued support.

Following the Sapporo High Court in March 2024 and the Tokyo High Court in October,
In Kyushu (Fukuoka), the high court will finally hand down its ruling on Friday, December 13, 2024.

Judgment
Friday, December 13, 2024, 11:00 AM
Fukuoka High (District) Courtroom 101 (my usual courtroom)

Access to the court: 3 minutes on foot from Ropponmatsu Station on the Nanakuma Subway Line

Distribution time of numbered tickets: 10:00-10:20
Distribution location: Near the rotary on the south side of the Fukuoka High, Local, Family and Summary Court Joint Government Building (behind the courts)
It takes a while to get around to the back of the courthouse.
Please come with plenty of time to spare.

Observation tours will also be available.
December 13th (Friday) 10:00am Meet at Exit 1 (ground level) of Ropponmatsu Station on the Nanakuma Subway Line
A member of the defense team will guide you to the ticket distribution location, so if you are unsure about where to go, please join the hearing tour.
(There is no priority allocation of spectator tickets.)

There will also be a report session on the day.

If you can, please join us and share this historic moment!

[Detailed schedule for the day (December 13th)]

11:00 In court, the judge reads out the verdict.

If you lose the lottery and are unable to enter the courtroom, you can wait in the large hall of the Fukuoka Prefectural Bar Association, located right next to the court.

In the main hall there is a corner where you can write postcards to members of parliament.

Please feel free to come anytime.

The judgment will be published on CALL4 . Please look at the bottom of "Case Files" → "High Court" → "Arguments and Judgments".

We will post the information as soon as possible, but it will be around 12:00 at the earliest. It may take a little longer. Thank you for your patience.

11:40am Flag raising @Fukuoka Prefectural Bar Association Hall (right next to the courthouse)
The space for the flag raising is small, so it will be difficult for everyone to see it directly, so we would appreciate it if you could gather in the large hall of the Fukuoka Prefectural Bar Association.

You can see the flag-raising process from the windows in the large hall, and a live broadcast of the process will be shown on a large screen.

13:30 Press Conference & Reporting Session @Fukuoka Prefectural Bar Association Hall, Main Hall The press conference will be held at the Bar Association Hall. Anyone can attend, not just members of the press.

There have also been reports from legal teams in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Aichi, and Kansai.

Malifaux Bear is also scheduled to be there.

If you are unable to attend the hearing, you can also attend just the press conference or report meeting, so please come.

We also plan to broadcast the event live.

16:00 Talk session @ Fukuoka Prefectural Bar Association Large Hall

Let's discuss our thoughts on the verdict in small groups together with the plaintiffs and their legal team.

[Thanks to your support, we have reached our goal, but we believe there is still more cost to be incurred, so we would like to raise the goal. (October 30, 2024)

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone for their support since the lawsuit was filed on February 14, 2019.

This lawsuit is a large-scale class action lawsuit involving a total of more than 30 plaintiffs and approximately 80 lawyers, with six lawsuits being filed in five courts across the country. The lawsuit incurs large expenses, such as transportation costs for the plaintiffs and legal team to appear in court and for meetings, printing costs for legal documents, and communication costs. However, thanks to your donations, we are able to continue the lawsuit, and in the first high court ruling, the Sapporo High Court ruled on March 14, 2024 (Hokkaido lawsuit), it was recognized that the current law prohibiting same-sex marriage violates Articles 24 and 14 of the Constitution.

Currently, the Hokkaido lawsuit has been appealed to the Supreme Court, and all other lawsuits are pending in the High Court (the Tokyo High Court ruled the first Tokyo lawsuit unconstitutional today).

All lawsuits are scheduled to proceed to appeals. Although we have achieved our initial fundraising goal, we have raised it because five and a half years have passed since the lawsuits were all filed and we expect to run short on funds for legal activities at the appeals hearing, such as travel expenses for the plaintiffs and their legal teams from Hokkaido, Aichi, Kansai, and Kyushu to travel to Tokyo.

We ask for your continued support in our quest to have this law ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.