TOKYO, April 29 (Xinhua) -- With thousands more plaintiffs gearing up to file lawsuits over constitutionality of the newly-enforced security laws, Japanese people are launching a fresh offensive to scrap the controversial "war legislation."
More than 500 people in Tokyo and about 200 in Fukushima Prefecture filed class-action lawsuits Tuesday against the Japanese government, arguing that the security laws violate Japan's pacifist constitution and damage the Japanese people's right to peaceful survival.
The plaintiffs, including constitutional scholars, legal professionals and war victims, are seeking an injunction to block the deployment of the Self-Defense Forces personnel under the new legislation, as well as state compensation for emotional damages caused by a "culture of fear."
These are the first of a series of lawsuits to be filed across the nation by a group of experts. Similar suits will be filed in Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and other major cities across the nation, by a group of legal specialists, lawyers, constitutional experts, including professors and former judges.
"We have a chance to win, as we have over 600 lawyers representing the plaintiffs, including former judges and prosecutors." said Makoto Ito, a lawyer and representative of the group "Legal Actions against the Security Bills."
"Not to mention the fact that the former chief of the Supreme Court of Japan also believes that the security laws violate the constitution," he added.
However, not all observers here are optimistic about the prospect of the lawsuits.
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