A court ruled Friday that Tokyo Medical University, which has admitted to rigging its exams to limit the entrance of female and some male applicants, is obligated to reimburse candidates who were penalized.

"The manipulation of scores violated the principle of equality enshrined by the Constitution and there is a strong suspicion that the university acted illegally against the applicants," said presiding Judge Tatsuro Maezawa in the ruling by the Tokyo District Court.

Tokyo Medical University deducted points from the scores of women and previously unsuccessful male candidates who took its entrance exams in 2017 and 2018, according to the ruling.