The Japanese government had long stated that the right of collective self-defense was unconstitutional. In July 2014, the Abe administration had this right approved by its Cabinet, overturning the long-standing statement. In the early morning of September 19, 2015, the administration railroaded the security bill (“war legislation”). To challenge the constitutionality of this legislation in court, the Nationwide Network for Lawsuits on the Unconstitutionality of the New Security Laws (" The Nationwide Network for Lawsuits") instituted 25 civil actions in 22 courts across Japan in April 2016, starting from Tokyo. Currently, 7,699 plaintiffs and 1,685 attorneys are fighting without pay, urging the judicial branch, which has the authority to determine the constitutionality of legislation under the system of separation of powers, to fulfill its primary responsibility in this extraordinary situation where the legislative and executive branches have violated the Constitution. This has been an uphill battle, with all the verdicts delivered against the plaintiffs thus far, while none of the decisions state that the security legislation is constitutional. This legal battle has been extensive, in-depth, and fierce.
