PRESS CONFERENCE
Lawsuit to end racial profiling by the police
Motoki Taniguchi, Attorney at law & Maurice, Plaintiff
11:00-12:00 Thursday, February 1, 2024
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.
Japan’s justice system has come under heavy criticism in recent years for punitive pre-trial detentions and coerced confessions, so being detained or even approached by the police for questioning is always going to be a cause for concern. When you have been stopped scores of times just because you’re foreign-born or “look different,” you will believe that racial profiling is a systemic part of Japanese policing. In December 2021, a U.S. Embassy tweet warned citizens of racial profiling by Japanese police.
Three people who say they have suffered racial profiling have filed a lawsuit against the state (National Police), Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Tokyo Police) and Aichi Prefecture (Aichi Police) supported by LEDGE, a citizens group dedicated to human rights. The lawsuit aims to confirm that racial profiling is illegal and seeks damages for the plaintiffs.
Maurice, one of the plaintiffs, and lawyer Motoki Taniguchi will come to the Club to explain the lawsuit and relate the experience of repeatedly being stopped and questioned by police officers.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, the name of your media outlet, and FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions attendance will be limited. Doors open 15 minutes before the event. Please sign in and giving your name and contact details at the reception.
How to watch online: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCCJchannel/live
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/LbnfWn7VSNn8pdXx5
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form.
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee