Japanese Government Ordered to Pay Damages Over Forced Sterilizations

The Japanese Supreme Court has ruled that the country's Eugenic Protection Law (EPL), which allowed for forced sterilizations of individuals with intellectual or mental disabilities and those with certain hereditary diseases, is unconstitutional. The law was enacted in 1948 and remained in effect until its repeal in 1996. According to reports, around 16,500 people were forcibly sterilized under the law, including 39 plaintiffs who brought the case to court. The EPL allowed doctors to carry out forced sterilizations without consent, citing the need to prevent the birth of "inferior" descendants. Additionally, women who underwent sterilization procedures without their spouse's consent faced a fine of $4,800. The law also included a 20-year statute of limitations, which the Supreme Court has declared cannot be applied.