「いのちのとりで」裁判

         第二次安倍政権は２０１３年から３年間に生活保護費の削減を断行。これを違法と、全国で「いのちのとりで」裁判が起こされた。最高裁に憲法25条に基づく判決を求める。　

         自民党は、２０１２年総選挙で「生活保護費10％削減」を公約した。その年度には、５年ごとに生活扶助基準の在り方を議論する社会保障審議会の生活保護基準部会が開かれ、報告書も出ていた。

一部の自民議員と　

         ところが、厚生労働省の事務方は基準部会に諮はからず、自民党の一部議員との打合せで２０１３年～15年の３年間で「生活扶助平均６・５％、最大10％の大幅引き下げ」を決定。生活保護費を総額６７０億円削減した。　

          生活扶助基準は、法律に明記されず、国会で議決されない。厚労省の告示（通達）で示されるため、乱暴な扱いが可能であった。　

          総務省の消費者物価指数では、２００８年～11年の物価下落率がデフレで２・35％だった。従来は、このデータを参考にして扶助基準を決めていた。ところが、厚労省は独自の試算で物価指数が４・78％の下落だったと主張した。　

         これは、生活保護世帯では通常購入することの少ない（できない）高額なテレビやパソコンを一般世帯と同様に購入するとして計算して出してきた不合理な数字。引き下げは作為的、意図的に根拠づけられたのである。　

全国で訴訟相次ぐ　

      この大幅な保護費引き下げに対して、全国47都道府県で１万６５４件の審査請求（ 行政不服申立て）が出された。生活保護制度史上で最大の件数である。　

         これを受けて、さらに全国29の地方裁判所に合計１０２５人の当事者らが生活扶助基準引き下げ処分の取り消しと損害賠償を求めて裁判を起こした。　

         これまでに、29地裁31件の訴訟中19件で減額を違法とする原告勝利の判決が出ている。圧倒的多数である。また、高裁では５月末現在で12件中７件が違法とし、国が敗訴している。高裁でも勝訴が多数である。　

最高裁でも勝利を　

      最高裁は現在、先行して判決が出た大阪高裁（原告敗訴）と、名古屋高裁（同勝訴）の訴訟の審理をしている。５月27日に最高裁第３小法廷（宇賀克也裁判長）は原告側と被告側の意見を聞く弁論を開き、原告・被告の双方が意見陳述した。　

        判決は６月27日言い渡される。最高裁に、憲法25条「健康で文化的な最低限度の生活」が守られる判断を求める。

英訳版↓

No. 1405 Lawsuits to Defend Bastion of Life

The second-round of the Abe administration lasted for three years from 2013, during which the government cut the benefit amounts of the Life Protection Program. The policy was complained as illegal, and actions have been filed across the country as a lawsuit to defend a bastion of life. We, the New Socialist Party, expect the Supreme Court to rule in accordance with Article 25 of the Constitution.

SUPREME COURT SHOULD DECIDE, APPRECIATING ARTICLE 25 OF THE CONSTITUTION

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) pledged to ‘reduce by 10% the benefits of the Life Protection Program’ during the campaign for the 2012 general election. In that fiscal year a report was released from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), following the meetings of the Department on Life Protection Service Standards of the Social Service Council of the ministry, which analyzes the standards every five years.

The ministry directly negotiated with some LDP lawmakers

Executive officials in the MHLW, however, directly negotiated with the LDP’s lawmakers, without internal debates in the department, to agree to cut benefit for assistance by 6.5% on the average and maximumly by 10% for three years from 2013 to 2015. Thus, the total amount of benefit payments of Life Protection Program was reduced by 67 billion yen.

The MHLW’s investigation is unreasonable as it bases on a calculation in which purchases of rare items are included, such as an expensive type of TV sets and personal computers which cannot be, or usually are not, bought by recipients of the welfare program. The ministry presupposes, in the estimation, these items are purchased in the same way as an ordinary household. The benefit money cut was made intentionally and artificially.

Lawsuits filed across the nation

In total 10,654 legal actions were filed in all the 47 prefectures against the big reduction (the administrative complaints). The number is the largest in the history of the program of life protection.

Responding to the litigation, beneficiaries of the program totaling 1025 people have been involved in trials, filing to the 29 District Courts nationwide, requesting cancellation of the reduction in the benefit payments and demanding compensation for the damages.

Until today 19 cases out of 31 lawsuits in the 29 District Courts have judged the reduction as illegal, leading to victory on the side of the plaintiffs. The outcome shows major victory on the side of recipients overwhelmingly. In the level of High Court, seven legal actions out of 12 have been ruled as illegal as of the end of May 2025. The government side has been defeated. In the High Courts, too, the majority number of plaintiffs have won.

Plaintiffs should win in Supreme Court, too

At the moment the Supreme Court examines the lawsuits filed to the Osaka High Court (plaintiffs lost) and to the Nagoya High Court (plaintiffs won) where judicial decisions have been made earlier. At the third petty bench of the top court statements and opinions were heard both from the plaintiff side and from the defendant side (Presiding Judge Uga Katsuya) on May 27.

A court decision will be made on June 27. The New Socialist Party expects the Supreme Court to make judgment to appreciate Article 25 of the Constitution which provides that ‘all people shall have the right to maintain the minimum standards of wholesome and cultured living.’



June 11, 2025