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Japan to pardon 550,000 convicts on occasion of imperial enthronement ceremony

Oct 21 (Japan Times) - The government on Friday approved granting pardons to roughly 550,000 petty criminals in light of Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony next Tuesday.

The Justice Ministry said the pardons, the first since 1993, will be granted on the premise that the emperor’s enthronement is “an opportunity for the citizens of Japan to cleanse their spirit and start anew.”

“Such decisions, however, need to be made with consideration of crime victims and their families,” a clemency official said, explaining why those who committed grievous crimes will not receive the pardons.

The official said the pardons will involve those who were found guilty and were fined for minor infractions at least three years ago.

“The pardons will help them get back into society — in the belief that the pardons will alleviate life inconveniences caused by restrictions imposed on them … and will free them of a psychological burden,” the official said.

The amnesty will take effect on Tuesday, restoring their civil rights. It will also allow those pardoned to apply for professional licenses, when ordinarily they would be subject to a statutory 5-year period of suspension. The amnesty will not restore previous licenses, such as driver’s licenses suspended due to a conviction.

About 80 percent of those to be pardoned were involved in traffic law violations or traffic accidents, including those that caused death or injury.

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