On the 12th, the House of Representatives Judicial Affairs Committee approved a bill to revise the Civil Code that would introduce joint custody after divorce, with a majority including members of the ruling party. It is expected to pass the House of Representatives next week and be sent to the House of Councilors. Based on the agreement of the four parties – Liberal Democratic Party, Komeito, Constitutional Democratic Party, and Japan Restoration Party – when deciding on the form of parental authority, “measures will be considered to confirm the true intentions” to avoid inappropriate agreements due to differences in the power relationship between parents. Amendments were made by adding this to the supplementary regulations.
The revised bill was debated in the House of Representatives on March 14th. In response to the diversification of family relationships, the provision requiring sole custody after divorce will be revised to allow the option of joint custody. If the parents cannot come to an agreement through negotiation, the family court will make the decision, and if there is a risk of domestic violence or abuse, one of the parents will have sole custody.
The amendments were made in response to concerns that parents may not be able to discuss matters on an equal footing due to domestic violence and other issues. The supplementary provisions also include provisions for the government to make efforts to disseminate the revised contents and to consider further revisions five years after enforcement. (Joint)