The Upper House passed legislation on Dec. 6 to protect confidential information concerning national security. Serious thought must be given to the grave implications from the viewpoints of the political system and the Constitution.
Under the new state secrets protection law, the chiefs of ministries and agencies have the power to determine what specific information should be designated as a state secret and whether such confidential information should be disclosed for Diet deliberations or trials.
The law will effectively create a pocket of secrecy within the sphere of administrative activities insulated from scrutiny by the public, the Diet or the judiciary. It will empower the government to determine at its discretion the scope and content of information that should be enveloped by the heavy veil of official secrecy.
In other words, the government has obtained a convenient and powerful tool to limit information disclosure. The scope of state secrets will inevitably expand year after year.
This situation poses a serious threat to the fundamental constitutional principles of popular sovereignty and separation of the three branches of government.
The legislation could eviscerate the most important principles of modern democracy and bring outdated politics back to the nation.
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