The Tokyo High Court on Wednesday revoked a lower court injunction against the publication of a magazine that carried a story on the divorce of former Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka's daughter, citing freedom of expression and the public's right to know.
In an extremely rare move, the Tokyo District Court issued a temporary injunction on March 16 that banned publication the following day of the March 25 edition of Shukan Bunshun, judging the article in question did not serve the public interest and could cause irrecoverable damage to the daughter and other parties concerned.
But on Wednesday, the high court ruled that the injunction greatly limited freedom of expression, an essential component to the sound development of democratic society and "one of the rights that must be most respected under the Constitution." As such, injunctions prior to publication should not be issued so easily, it added.