Top court rejects claim dual nationality ban is unconstitutional
Japan's top court has rejected an appeal by a Japanese-born U.S. citizen challenging the constitutionality of the country's ban on dual citizenship, finalizing lower court rulings.
The decision by the Supreme Court's First Petty Bench, dated Monday, was on a claim that Article 11 of the Nationality Law, which stipulates the loss of Japanese nationality upon voluntarily acquiring a foreign nationality, infringes on the right to self-determination.
The Fukuoka District Court turned down the initial claim in 2023, noting that the law was appropriate and was not beyond the scope of discretion. The Fukuoka High Court also supported the first decision last year.
According to the ruling, the woman acquired U.S. citizenship in 2004. She applied for a Japanese passport in 2017, but her application was rejected the following year on the grounds that she had lost her Japanese nationality.
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