TOKYO: Japanese lawmakers on Friday enacted a law that allows the divorced couples to opt for a joint custody of children.
For past many years one parent — almost always the mother — has been granted legal custody in Japan when a marriage ends. The rule has always seen by its supporters as a safeguard against domestic violence and child abuse.
However, concerns have been raised that it can cut off a meaningful contact the other parent and their child.
Non-custodial parents, often fathers, have expressed frustration over lack of access to children.
A UN committee in 2019 proposed that Japan must allow a shared custody of children when it is in the child’s best interests, including for foreign parents.
The new law stipulates that sole custody be maintained if both parents agree or in court cases of domestic violence or child abuse.
One parent will also be able to take decisions about kids without consulting the other on issues like schooling or health in emergency circumstances.
No official data is available for the number of minors cut off from a parent in Japan, but even so, campaigns both for and against the law have been loud.
A 2022 survey conducted by a support group for single mothers found that 80 percent of single parents in Japan were against towards joint custody.
Campaigners against the move said in January said even in cases of domestic violence, failure to prove it in court because of insufficient evidence can lead to joint custody being established.
