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06/06/2008 --The Asahi Shimbun, June 5 (IHT/Asahi: June 6,2008)

EDITORIAL: Nationality Law

婚外子の国籍―子どもを救った違憲判断

The Nationality Law stipulates that a child born to a Japanese man or woman is considered a Japanese citizen at birth, regardless of whether the child's parents are legally married.

日本人の証しである日本国籍。それを得るには、父親と母親が結婚しているかどうかにかかわらず、生まれたときに親のいずれかが日本人であればいい。国籍法はこう定めている。

A child born to a Japanese man and an unmarried foreign woman is granted Japanese nationality if the father acknowledges paternity by the time of the child's birth.

結婚していない外国人の母親から生まれた場合、生まれるまでに日本人の父親が認知していれば問題はない。

But if the Japanese father acknowledges paternity only after the child's birth, the boy or girl has no rights of Japanese nationality under a controversial provision of the law unless the parents are married.

問題は、生まれたあとに日本人の父親が認知した場合だ。国籍法では、この場合には両親が結婚していなければ、子どもに国籍を認めない。

The constitutionality of this provision was challenged by 10 children who were born out of wedlock to Japanese fathers and Filipina mothers but were acknowledged by their fathers as their own after their births. They filed lawsuits seeking to be recognized as Japanese nationals.

フィリピン人の母親から生まれ、そのあと日本人の父親から認知されたが、両親は結婚していない。そうした子どもたち１０人が、日本国籍の確認を求めて提訴していた。

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, declaring as unconstitutional the provision of the Nationality Law under which children (born to unmarried foreign mothers and) acknowledged by their Japanese fathers after their birth will be granted Japanese nationality on condition that their parents are married. The ruling granted Japanese nationality to all the plaintiffs, children aged 8 to 14.

最高裁が言い渡した判決は、出生後に認知された子だけに両親の結婚を国籍取得の条件とした国籍法の規定は違憲であり、子どもたちに国籍を与えるというものだった。

In handing down the well-reasoned ruling, the top court argued as follows: In the past, it was thought that a child's close tie with the country of its parent was based on the marital relationship between the parents. But both society's views and realities concerning families and parent-child relations have changed over the years. Many countries have scrapped such legal discrimination in granting nationality to children based on circumstances surrounding their births.

従来は親が結婚していることが、その子と国家との密接な結びつきを示す根拠と考えられていた。しかし、家族や親子についての意識も実態も変わった。多くの国で、こうした出生による差別をなくすようにもなった。

判決はこのように理由を述べた。極めて妥当な判断である。

The plaintiffs were all born and raised in Japan and are attending Japanese schools. While they are living as members of Japanese society, the lack of Japanese nationality puts them at a serious disadvantage in various aspects of social life. One of the plaintiffs, 10-year-old Masami, dreams of becoming a police officer, but it will remain beyond her reach unless she is given Japanese nationality. Such discrimination and a violation of individual rights should not be left unaddressed.

原告の子どもたちは日本で生まれ育ち、日本の学校に通っている。日本人として暮らしているのに、日本国籍がないと、社会生活で様々な不利益がある。原告の一人、マサミさんは（１０）は警察官になるのが夢だが、それもかなわない。こうした差別と権利の侵害を放置しておくわけにはいかない。

One in every 10 children who have Japanese fathers and foreign mothers is born out of wedlock. There can be various circumstances surrounding the births of these illegitimate children. But there must be many cases in which the Japanese father is responsible for the child's illegitimate status.

外国人が母親の場合、生まれる子の１割は婚外子だ。様々な事情があるにしても、父親である日本人の姿勢が批判されるべき場合もあるだろう。

（illegitimate=非嫡出の／不法、違法、非合法の）

In any case, there is no fault on the part of the child. There is nothing such children could have done to make sure that their fathers would acknowledge paternity before their births or their parents would get married after they were born. There are tens of thousands of children born to Japanese fathers and foreign mothers who are not recognized as Japanese nationals, according to an estimate.

だが、子どもに責任はない。母親の胎内にいるときに父親が認知したり、生まれたあとに両親が結婚したりすればいい、といわれても、子どもにはどうすることもできない。外国人の母親から生まれ、日本国籍を取れない子どもは数万人いるとの推計もある。

What was noteworthy about the Supreme Court decision was that it approved of interpreting the law in a way that makes it possible to rescue people subject to discrimination. In granting nationality to the plaintiffs, the court applied the law by ignoring the provision it deemed unconstitutional.

最高裁判決で注目されるのは、「差別を受けている人を救うため、法律の解釈によって違憲状態を解消することができる」との判断を示したことだ。国籍法の中で、結婚を条件としている違憲部分を除いて条文を読み直すという方法をとった。

the court applied the law by ignoring the provision it deemed unconstitutional→the court applied the law by ignoring the provision （that is） deemed (to be) unconstitutional

(noteworthy=注目に値する、目立つ、顕著な、著しい)

Some of the 15 justices on the grand bench, however, dissented, arguing that the provision that is unconstitutional should be corrected through legislation. However, the Diet and the government have failed to revise the law while the constitutionality of the provision has long been questioned. Waiting for new legislation to fix the problem would further delay relief for the victims.

この方法については、今回の判決でも「違憲状態の解消は立法によるべきだ」という反対意見がついた。

だが、国籍法は違憲性がこれまでも指摘されてきたのに、国会や政府は法改正を怠ってきた。法改正を待っていては、救済がさらに遅れる。

（dissent=意見が異なる）

We support the Supreme Court decision. It exercised its power to determine the constitutionality of a law so as to actually make things better for the children.

違憲立法審査権を絵に描いた餅にしないために工夫をこらした最高裁の姿勢を支持したい。

（constitutionality=合憲性、立憲性、憲法への整合性）

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 5 (IHT/Asahi: June 6,2008)

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