Japan Top Court Rules Work-Bar Provision Unconstitutional [Podcast Episode]

By Barrier Free Japan

February 20 2026

TOKYO – Japan’s Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday 18th February that a provision in the now-scrapped security services law that disqualified adult guardianship system users from employment violated the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of occupation and equality under law. The ruling, backed by 10 of the 15 justices, marked the 14th time since the end of World War II that the Supreme Court has declared a law or ordinance unconstitutional, and the first time since the Grand Bench ruling in July 2024 on the now-defunct eugenic protection law.

Episode notes:

‘Japan Top Court Rules Work-Bar Provision Unconstitutional’:

Japan Top Court Rules Work-Bar Provision Unconstitutional