Three Japanese high courts on Wednesday rejected lawsuits seeking to invalidate the July Upper House election due to its vote weight disparity but gave differing opinions on the constitutionality of the disparity itself.
The Miyazaki Branch of the Fukuoka High Court ruled that the maximum disparity of 3.08 times between the most- and least-populated constituencies in the July 10 House of Councilors' election was "constitutional," while the Akita Branch of the Sendai High Court and the Hiroshima High Court ruled the disparity was "in a state of unconstitutionality."
At the Hiroshima court, presiding Judge Koji Ikuno said, "The imbalance in vote weight was at a level of significant inequality that raises issues of unconstitutionality." He added it is appropriate to give the Diet one more chance to resolve the problem.