Whistleblowers Face Multimillion-Yen Lawsuits
Whistleblowers who expose suspected wrongdoing at companies and other organizations in Japan are increasingly finding themselves targeted by multimillion-yen damages claims, raising questions over whether the country's legal system adequately protects people who report misconduct. (News On Japan)
Whistleblowers in Japan are experiencing multimillion-yen lawsuits, raising concerns about the protection offered by the country's legal system for those who report wrongdoing. Those facing litigation claim the claims are retribution for their revelations. Claims exceed 20 million yen and approach 50 million yen, causing significant financial and psychological strain.
One example is Momuri, a resignation agency that allegedly violated the Attorneys Act. The company's operator, Shinji Tanimoto, admitted to violating the Attorneys Act and expressed regret. Meanwhile, whistleblower Nozomi Fukuda was instructed to refer clients to lawyers and warned not to disclose the arrangement. Prosecutors allege the practice was illegal.
Fukuda resigned and reported the matter, but the company threatened to sue her for 22 million yen. The litigation took away time from her family, causing severe stress and a cerebral infarction. She is uncertain whether she would have participated in whistleblowing if aware of the litigation's impact.
Another case involves STAAR Japan, where Yutaka Kato reported suspected bribery. Executives were fined for giving 600,000 yen in cash to a hospital doctor. Despite the whistleblower protection act, companies can still sue whistleblowers for reasons other than the act itself, creating concerns over retaliatory lawsuits.
Written by urgent.news from News On Japan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
