Japan’s top court is set to rule today on the validity of a legal clause that requires people who want to legally change their gender to undergo sterilisation surgery. — Reuters picTOKYO, Oct 25 — Japan’s top court is set to rule today on the validity of a legal clause that requires people who want to legally change their gender to undergo sterilisation surgery.
Japan’s Supreme Court threw out a similar legal challenge in 2019. However, a local family court last week ruled in favour of a man who requested having his gender legally changed without surgery in what rights groups called a landmark case.“For anyone, having their gender legally recognised is an extremely fundamental human right, so being required to undergo sterilisation to enjoy that right is a significant violation of human rights,” said Kanae Doi, Japan Director at Human Rights Watch.
Her lawyers have said that the requirements violate their client’s constitutional right to pursue happiness and live without discrimination, and pose significant physical pain and financial burden to transgender people, according to local media reports.