Justice Minister Doesn’t Care About Public Accountability
Justice Minister Minoru Yanagida is under fire after making some honest statements about how he doesn’t give a crap about answering questions from the public:
Talking about how he handles questions in the Diet at a gathering in Hiroshima, Yanagida said he only needs two answers: “I will refrain from commenting on specific issues” and “We are handling the matter properly according to the law and evidence.”
The justice minister’s banter raises questions about his accountability to the public.
Just now, debate is raging on the way the administration of Prime Minister Naoto Kan handled the collisions between a Chinese trawler and Japan Coast Guard vessels off the disputed Senkaku Islands. There is widespread suspicion that the administration is trying to dodge responsibility by claiming prosecutors made what was actually a political decision by the government to release the detained captain of the Chinese trawler.
Coming from the mouth of the minister in charge of this issue, Yanagida’s remarks will convince many people that the administration is obscuring the truth on the pretext that it is a “specific issue” not appropriate for public discussion.
Another question concerns Yanagida’s qualifications for his job. He has no legal experience. His controversial quip was tantamount to a confession that he had sought refuge in these convenient phrases because he, unexpectedly appointed to the Cabinet post, does not have the ability to offer sensible answers to questions.
Regular readers of this blog will recall how Yanagida could not even provide his stance on the death penalty when interviewed on the day he was appointed Justice Minister.
Update: He has resigned.
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