Government panel proposes allowing joint child custody

A government panel submitted a report on revising the Civil Code to Justice Minister Ryuji Koizumi on Thursday, proposing that divorced parents be allowed to share custody of their children.

Based on the report from the Legislative Council, the government plans to submit a related bill during the ongoing ordinary session of parliament.

Currently, only one of the divorced parents is granted parental custody in Japan. But the report calls for parents to be able to choose joint custody through negotiations.

Under the proposed joint custody system, if parents cannot reach an agreement, a family court would make a decision based on the interests of the child and family relations. If there is a risk of domestic violence or abuse, a family court will choose sole custody.

On Thursday, the council also submitted proposals for revising the criminal procedure law to promote the use of information technology in investigations and criminal trials, such as the introduction of electronic arrest and search warrants, which would be requested and issued online, and the digitization of interrogation and trial records, which are currently in paper form.

The envisaged revision is aimed at reducing burdens on related workers and speeding up criminal procedures.

The council also sought a revision to the building unit ownership law to ease the requirements for the replacement of aging condominiums.

The current law requires the consent of four-fifths or more of owners to replace condominiums. Under the revised law, the requirement would be lowered to three-fourths or more if certain conditions, such as inadequate earthquake and fire resistance levels, are met.

The government hopes to promote the replacement of buildings at a time when the number of old condominiums is increasing and their owners are aging.