By conspiracy bill now in Diet deliberation
国民生活にどう影響するのか注目
―「共謀罪」法案の国会審議―
At present, an important bill is under deliberation in the Diet (parliament). It seeks to add a new crime of conspiracy such as terrorism to the Law for Punishment of Organized Crimes, Control of Crime Proceeds and Other Matters, the so-called Organized Crime Punishment Law. The Japanese government decided on the bill to amend the law at a Cabinet session on March 21 and submitted it to the Diet. The bill is controversial in that it was scrapped three times in the past in the face of a broad argument by the opposition parties that it could “undermine the freedom of expression” and create “a surveillance society” across the country.
現在、国会ではある重要法案が審議されている。政府が３月２１日の閣議で決定し、国会に提出した、テロなど組織的犯罪に「共謀罪」を新設する組織犯罪処罰法改正案である。同法案は「表現の自由が侵害される」「監視社会になる」などの反対意見が多数を占めたため、過去３度廃案となっているいわゆる与野党の対決法案だ。
Speaking at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on April 6, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated in support of the bill, “As we prepare for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games (to be held in Tokyo in 2020), it is a duty of the host country to take all possible measures to counter acts of terrorism. Enactment of this bill is indispensable to make the domestic laws ready for that purpose.” His government is aiming to pre-empt terrorism by paving the way for Japan’s accession to the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The convention, adopted at the United Nations General Assembly in 2000, came into effect in 2016, but Japan has yet to sign it. To make conspiracy a crime is one of conditions required for Japan’s accession to the convention. The government-sponsored bill looks to add conspiracy to the organized crimes defined in the existing Japanese law.
安倍晋三首相は４月６日の衆議院本会議で、「東京五輪・パラリンピックの開催を控え、テロ対策に万全を期すことは開催国の責務。国内法整備のためには法案成立が不可欠だ」と、述べた。政府の狙いは、２０００年に国連総会で採択され、日本がまだ未締結の国際組織犯罪防止条約（昨年発効）に早期加入し、テロ防止を図ることにある。そして同条約への加入条件となっているのが、共謀罪の犯罪化。我が国の現行法にはない、組織犯罪に共謀罪を設けようとするものだ。
The proposed amendment seeks to apply conspiracy not only to acts of terrorism but also crimes committed by gangs and fraud groups. However, it does not define the difference between organized crime groups and “other groups” and it is unclear who can be members of those “other” groups. This gives rise to criticism in the opposition camp that members of the general people can be punished once the bill becomes a law. The most controversial point, therefore, is the norms by which acts of conspiracy are made punishable.
共謀罪適用の組織犯罪はテロばかりでなく、暴力団や詐欺集団などが対象となるが、組織的犯罪集団とそれ以外の集団との線引きがされていないことや、構成員の属性限定されていないことなどから、一般国民も処罰対象なるのではないかとの批判があり、最大の論点となっているのは処罰の適用基準。
The government says that people will not be punished by merely making antigovernment and subversive statements but that they can be punished “when they act in preparation for conspiracy” such as acquisition of funds and preliminary inspection of relevant locations. However, the opposition parties argue that police may start criminal investigation only with depositions made by those who have allegedly made preparations and participated in a subversive plan. They note in this respect that punitive actions in the proposed revision will include an “agreement” (communication of an intention to commit a crime with conspirators). They contend that punishing the “agreement” without any concrete actions could possibly involve innocent people and lead up to false charges. The revised law would allow the investigating authority to judge what will constitute the “preparatory actions”. The opposition camp is worried that such arbitrary criminal investigation can be used for suppressing antigovernment campaigns by civic organizations and labor unions.
政府は、反政府・国家転覆を示唆するような発言だけでは処罰されず、犯罪実行のための資金取得行為、関係場所の下見などの「犯罪実行のための準備行為」がなければ、処罰できないとしている。しかし、野党側は、改正案によると処罰行為が合意（共謀者との犯罪実行の意思連絡）を含むため、準備行為をした者、計画に参加したとされる者の供述のみにより捜査をすることになると主張。具体的な行為を伴わない「合意」を処罰することは、無実の者が巻き込まれる危険性が高く、冤罪が生じうるとしている。また、改正法ではどのような行為をもって「準備行為」とみなすかは、捜査機関の判断に委ねられる。野党は、恣意的な捜査により市民運動や労働組合などによる反政府的運動の弾圧に利用されると懸念している。
The entire nation needs to watch the ongoing Diet debate to see how the proposed institution of conspiracy will affect their society and living.
共謀罪の新設による組織犯罪処罰により我が国の社会や国民生活にどう影響するのか、国会での論議に注目したい。(Written by: Yuto Yawata)（八幡侑斗）