TOKYO, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese and U.S. governments announced Tuesday that they have agreed to narrow the scope of U.S. military base workers protected by the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a bilateral pact that gives U.S. servicemen and civilian workers in Japan privileged legal status.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and Lt. Gen. John Dolan, commander of U.S. Forces in Japan, made the announcement Tuesday in Tokyo.
Under the 1960 pact, the U.S. justice system, instead of Japanese courts, has the primary right of jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S base service members and their "civil component" if the accused was "acting on official duty," which is often criticized as overprotective of U.S. Base workers and giving them immunity from Japanese law.
Another controversial issue about the pact is the term "civil component," which was formerly defined as "civilian persons of U.S. nationality who are in the employ of, serving with, or accompanying the U.S armed forces in Japan," but did not specify the employment conditions or arrangements.
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