強制不妊国賠訴訟、全面和解へ　岸田首相の「除斥」撤回表明受け

　岸田文雄首相は１７日、不妊手術を強制された被害者らとの面会で、現在も継続中の旧優生保護法を巡る国家賠償請求訴訟に関し、不法行為から２０年で請求権が消滅する「除斥期間」の適用を求める主張を撤回すると伝えた。一連の訴訟は和解協議に移行し、終結する公算が大きくなった。
　旧法に基づく強制不妊手術を巡っては、これまで計３９人が全国１２地裁・支部に提訴。国は除斥期間の適用を主張の柱に据え、争う姿勢を示してきた。
　３日に言い渡された５件の訴訟の上告審判決では、最高裁大法廷が「請求権の消滅が著しく正義・公平の理念に反し、到底容認できない場合は、除斥期間の主張は許されない」と判断し、判例を変更。国の主張は権利乱用などに当たるとして退け、原告の全面勝訴となった。
　今回、首相が除斥期間の適用を主張しないと表明したことで、訴訟の最大の争点は消え、裁判を継続する必要はなくなる。
　一連の訴訟は最初の提訴から既に６年以上が経過。原告側弁護団によると、３９人中６人が訴訟中に亡くなった。手術を受けたと認められず、敗訴が確定した原告もおり、今後救済の対象になるのかも議論になりそうだ。（2024/07/18-08:36）

A series of ongoing damages lawsuits filed against the Japanese government over forced sterilizations conducted under the country's now-defunct eugenics law will now likely move for settlement talks and come to an end subsequently.
   The prospect emerged after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at a meeting with victims of the forced sterilization surgeries and others concerned Wednesday, said that the government will stop demanding the application of the 20-year statute of limitations for damages claims in the pending lawsuits.
   Unveiling the plan, Kishida said that the government's responsibility is "extremely serious" and that the old law "inexcusably violated the human rights and trampled on individual dignity."
   A total of 39 people have so far sued the government at 12 district courts and branches for damages over forced sterilizations under the law. The government had refused to accept the damages claims, demanding the application of the 20-year statute of limitations.
   In its ruling issued July 3 on five of the cases, however, the Grand Bench of the Supreme Court turned down the government's argument, saying, "Demanding the application of the statute of limitations cannot be permitted in the case where the disappearance of the right to seek damages significantly goes against the principle of justice and fairness and can never be tolerated." The ruling was a total victory for the plaintiffs.