Japan's justice minister under fire for gaffe on death penalty

Hanashi has not authorized any executions as justice minister.

Why not just keep it this way? Most of the civilized world has stopped imposing death as a punishment.

Making a joke about death penalty in jurisdiction where hostage justice is quite common, that's not funny.

Seiji Osaka, a leading opposition lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, blasted Hanashi as "unfit" to be a cabinet member, saying he does not understand "the importance of his post."

But it really seems that he does. He truly understands the post, the government and what the LDP is all about - the reality of politics in Japan - when he says, "Serving as justice minister would not help raise much money or secure many votes."

justice minister is an "obscure" job that makes big headlines "only" after approving a decision to hang inmates.

Many assignments are piled up for him, including reform on the immigration bureau (which is responsible for infamous treatment of overstayers at detention). Keep moving your butt.

Hanashi has not authorized any executions as justice minister.

I think that's the real problem for him (but for many of his predecessors as well) By law the execution shall be carried out within 6 months after the final verdict, thus the minister shall sign up the document in time otherwise any valid reason exists for suspension or clemency. If he fails to fulfill his duty, that's serious negligence leading to the erosion of rule of law.

Nahashi should resign at once or should never have accepted the minitrial position if he opposes death penalty. Or he as head of the ministry could/should have addressed any reform or its full abolishment. He hasn't done any of it while being only concerned with fundraising. That's lazy and outrageous. QUIT!

I didn't take the comment as one making light of executions so much as a comment on his particular ministry and the Minister who leads it being perceived by the public and the press as being less important than others. The only time anyone takes notice of the post is when there is an execution, quite unlike most democracies where a Justice Minister / Attorney General is deeply involved in highly public and often controversial litigation on behalf of the government.

What, murderers are offended by this?

Nahashi should resign at once or should never have accepted the minitrial position if he opposes death penalty. Or he as head of the ministry could/should have addressed any reform or its full abolishment. He hasn't done any of it while being only concerned with fundraising. That's lazy and outrageous. QUIT!

Self-correction: (x) Nahashi (o) Hanashi

Hanashi has not authorized any executions as justice minister.

That means that at least he is not making a bad job (yet), lets see if this continues after receiving criticism and needing some easy popularity points.

As commented already he would actually do a good job after addressing the many different problems under his authority. He wants to be taken as important? then do important things.

Most of the civilized world has stopped imposing death as a punishment.

Yeah right, and that's why their streets are not safe and their women get raped in public. Just look at New York, which does not have the death penalty

Two 35-year-old men fatally shot in separate incidents in same Brooklyn precinct hours apart

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-man-shot-killed-east-new-york-brooklyn-20221107-pohy4txujvfzjlqbv36dcsflfa-story.html

This is your civilized world? You can keep it.

Hanashi has not authorized any executions as justice minister.

And that is the real problem. Why not?

The death penalty does not prevent crimes. Last year there were more than 800 murders. The death penalty is never given for rape.

Yeah right, and that's why their streets are not safe and their women get raped in public

You mean countries like New Zealand, Switzerland or Canada? they are considered very safe places and they have clearly abolished the death penalty. That is the civilized world, not just a pinpoint neighborhood

wallaceToday  09:00 am JST

The death penalty does not prevent crimes. Last year there were more than 800 murders

It certainly prevents murderers from murdering again.

I cringe at people more concerned about the welfare of murderers than for the victim and the victim's family. Everyone is a handwringing intellectual until someone in their family is murdered.

Peter Neil

The death penalty does not discourage people from committing death penalty crimes. Not all murders receive the death penalty. There are exceptions. There have have been convicts on death row for 40 years then released for being not guilty of their original crime. How many wrongfully executed?

So many reports showing revenge does not bring closure to the families of victims.

I have held the same views on the death penalty for more than 50 years.

It’s in reality only a very limited death penalty and only the worst of the worst are punished. That’s also why it is widely supported by an about 70% majority of the citizens. Most killings are not even subject to a death penalty in Japan, traffic accidents with victims and intentional murder cases with only one victim, for example don’t lead to a death penalty in the very most cases. And of course I agree also to @RWB. The world would be a safer place with still a similar limited death penalty installed in all countries.

Japan was among 18 countries in the world that carried out executions last year while a total of 108 countries abolished the death penalty at the end of the year

Japan makes its own rules. So what if other countries abolished the death penalty. Irrelevant to Japan.

Yeah right, and that's why their streets are not safe and their women get raped in public

You mean countries like New Zealand, Switzerland or Canada? they are considered very safe places and they have clearly abolished the death penalty. That is the civilized world, not just a pinpoint neighborhood

No, because the original comment was:

Just look at New York, which does not have the death penalty

Geography alert!

New York is not a country.

Singapore is though, and has the death penalty, and a lower homicide rate than Canada.

from minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries to justice minister with the authority to kill human beings?

so he is one of Japan’s top experts on vegetables, trees, fish and the inhuman death penalty?

No, because the original comment was:

Just look at New York, which does not have the death penalty

This comment was made as a direct reply to

Most of the civilized world has stopped imposing death as a punishment.

The whole point of my reply is that a pinpoint neighborhood location or even one single city is a very poor representation of "most of the civilized world", for which the example of whole countries is much better.

Singapore is though, and has the death penalty, and a lower homicide rate than Canada.

Which is in no way a counter argument that a country can be peaceful and have low crime rates even without any death penalty. For that to be true all countries that can be characterized this way would require to have active death penalty, which is obviously not the case.

It’s just an appointment for him, he doesn’t have to actually understand what it involves. Next his appointment could be the fisheries department, department of defence JSDF. It doesn’t matter if he knows anything about his position, he has it. So bad luck population.

But it really seems that he does. He truly understands the post, the government and what the LDP is all about - the reality of politics in Japan - when he says, "Serving as justice minister would not help raise much money or secure many votes."

Good point.

He later said in a parliamentary committee meeting that he wants to retract his Wednesday remarks.

I want to try using the line "I want to retract my remarks" the next time I say something stupid and/or offend my wife. Should be the end of the matter, all's forgiven and forgotten I'm guessing. yahhh-whoooo!

The high amount of gaffes made by Japanese politicians and high ranking officials doesn’t bode well with showing their intelligence.

Nor does it bode well for sentencing an individual to die and with a 99% conviction rate in Japan too…

He's right - and in his subtle way, is saying that he doesn't authorize the death penalty lightly, or simply for Political gain. ... At least that's my interpretation.

eah right, and that's why their streets are not safe and their women get raped in public. Just look at New York, which does not have the death penalty

For many of us New York would not be considered part of the civilized world :/

But look beyond New Yawk and you find most big cities in the EU, Australia, New Zealand and even next door in Canada have far lower murder rates than any place in the US where people seem as inclined to settle disputes with firearms as a Somali militia is. US attitudes on the acceptability of violence and guns to settle disputes combined with religious fundamentalism are closer to those of various Muslim extremist groups than most Americans would admit.

Making a joke about death penalty in jurisdiction where hostage justice is quite common, that's not funny.

Exactly!