The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that an ordinance enacted by the city of Osaka to restrict hate speech is constitutional, rejecting a claim by some residents that it unconstitutionally infringes on freedom of speech.
Chief Justice Saburo Tokura handed down the ruling on appeals filed by citizens demanding that the city ask Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, who was the city's mayor at the time the rule came into force, to cover expenses the city incurred due to enforcement of the ordinance. All five justices at the Third Petty Bench of the top court found the ordinance constitutional.
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