We, the 1,063 plaintiffs, have filed a lawsuit against the government of Japan at the Tokyo District Court as of 15 May 2015, pursuing for an injunction against the TPP negotiation, a decision ruling the TPP is unconstitutional and a compensation for damages which would be caused by the TPP.
On 2 June, Masahiko Yamada (a former Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) leading the above litigation and the joint legal counsel Koji Iwatsuki (a former member of the legal counsel for the lawsuit against the dispatch of Japanese Self-Defense Forces members to Iraq), held a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.
Plaintiffs for the initial lawsuit consist of general citizens, consumer organizations, persons/parties involved in agricultural and dairy farming, healthcare and medicine, and non-governmental organizations. Eight current National Diet members, Mizuho Fukushima, Taro Yamada, Keiko Itokazu, Tomoko Abe, Kantoku Teruya, Toshinobu Nakazato and Ryo Shuhama are also included. The counsel for the litigation consists of 157 members.
With respect to the TPP, deep concerns and fears are swelling among many Japanese people that the TPP would result in the collapse of agriculture and farming, further decline of food self-sufficiency, increase of medical expenses, losing substance of the universal public insurance system, the collapse of food security, overregulation on derivative works and other problems. (In this context, “Japanese people” means individuals who enjoy fundamental human rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Japan.)
We decided to file the lawsuit because it is highly likely that the TPP would, in infringement of the Constitution of Japan, result in violation of Japanese people’s right to life, and right to lead wholesome and cultured life.
We believe that rights of the people of the countries participating in the negotiations would be identically violated by the TPP. We would, therefore, like to establish solidarity broadly with the people of these countries, through this petition.
The claims of the litigation are as follows:
1. The defendant shall not carry out negotiations with regard to the
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement;
2. The court shall confirm that the negotiations with regard to the
Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement conducted by the defendant is
unconstitutional; and
3. The defendant shall pay 10,000 yen to each of the plaintiffs.
Association of Citizens Filing Suit to Stop TPP
English translation of the complaint (PDF file)
Media coverage concerning the lawsuit
Bloomberg Business; Aya Takada, May 15, 2015
Food Fear Lands Japan in Court Over U.S. Trade Deal Talks
Bloomberg Business; Aya Takada, May 15, 2015
Trade Deal Threatens Japan’s Food Security, Ex-Minister Says
The Japan Times; Kyodo, Bloomberg, May 15, 2015
More than 1,000 plaintiffs file lawsuit to keep Japan out of TPP
The Washington Post; Aya Takada, May 15, 2015
Food Fear Lands Japan in Court Over U.S. Trade Deal Talks
United Press International; Elizabeth Shim, May 15, 2015
Lawsuit: Trans-Pacific Partnership would threaten Japan’s food security
「TPPは違憲！」1,000人以上の市民が東京地裁に提訴 ―英語版訴状公開
私たち1,063人の原告は5月15日、日本国に対し、TPP交渉の差し止め、同交渉の違憲確認、損害賠償を求める「TPP交渉差止・違憲訴訟」を東京地方裁判所に提訴しました。
6月2日には、山田正彦幹事長（元農林水産大臣）と岩月浩二弁護団共同代表（元自衛隊イラク派兵差止訴訟弁護団）が、日本外国特派員協会で記者会見を行いました。
第一次提訴の原告は、一般市民、消費者団体、農業・酪農、保健・医療、NGO関係者ら計1,063名。福島瑞穂さん、山本太郎さん、糸数慶子さん、阿部知子さん、照屋寛徳さん、玉城デニーさん、仲里利信さん、主濱了さんの現職国会議員8名も、原告に加わっています。弁護団は、157名となりました。
TPPについては、農業や酪農の崩壊、食料自給率の一層の低下、医療費の高騰、国民皆保険制度の形骸化、食の安全の侵害、二次創作に対する過剰な規制など、さまざまな危機感が国民（この訴訟では「国民」とは、日本国憲法による基本的人権の享受主体として認められた個人を言います）の間にわき上がっています。
私たちが提訴に踏み切った理由は、TPP協定が、日本国憲法に違反して、私たちの生命に対する権利や、健康で文化的な生活を営む権利を侵害する結果となる恐れが極めて高いからです。
TPPは、等しく交渉参加国の国民の権利を侵害すると私たちは考えます。私たちは、TPP交渉差止・違憲訴訟を通じて、広く交渉参加国の国民と連帯することを望んでいます。
請求の主旨は、以下の通りです。
1 被告は、環太平洋戦略的経済連携協定に関する交渉をしてはならない。
2 被告が環太平洋戦略的経済連携協定に関する交渉をすることは違憲であることを確認する。
3 被告は、原告ら各自に対して、金1万円を支払え。
との判決を求めるものです。
TPP交渉差止・違憲訴訟の会
訴状全文（PDFファイル）
