The Diet on Wednesday enacted a revised law stipulating Japanese court jurisdiction over international divorce, in a move expected to speed up lengthy proceedings.
Before the revision, determination of court jurisdiction could take years as the previous law had no provision on the matter. The legislation will be put into effect in the near future, and will enter into force within the following 18 months.
The revised law on personal status litigation details the circumstances under which an international couple or a Japanese couple with one or both spouses living outside Japan can file for divorce in a Japanese court, taking into account evidence and relevant parties' links to Japan.