KUMAMOTO (Kyodo) The Kumamoto District Court sought reconciliation Friday in a damages suit filed by unrecognized Minamata disease patients against the state, Kumamoto Prefecture and chemical maker Chisso Corp.
The move came after the Diet enacted legislation last July to offer financial relief to unrecognized patients of the mercury-poisoning disease by expanding the scope of patients entitled to government relief measures.
The relief for the patients will be further promoted if a settlement is reached. However, the gap between the two sides remains, making the course of negotiations unclear.
Recommending an amicable settlement, presiding Judge Ryosuke Takahashi told both parties: "While the court will work for harmonizing views among the two sides, I expect both of you to make utmost efforts and come together."
During the settlement talks, the 2,018 plaintiffs and the three defendants will discuss the amount of lump-sum and medical payments, as well as how to decide on eligible patients.
The government aims to start the redress, based on the new legislation, by May 1, the anniversary of the official recognition of Minamata disease in 1956.
The plaintiffs have successively joined the suit since 2005 as the state remains reluctant to review the existing certification standards for redress, even after the Supreme Court supported broader criteria in 2004.
