NAGOYA - A 47-year-old man accused of possessing cannabis in Nagoya has been acquitted after the Nagoya High Court ruled that the procedures used to seize the evidence were illegal. The decision, handed down on October 9th, became final after prosecutors decided not to appeal.
According to the ruling, the man had been charged in connection with cannabis found in his car parked at a convenience store in Nagoya in March 2023. Although he admitted to possessing the drug, the court ruled the seizure unlawful, stating that the evidence could not be admitted. The High Court criticized the search warrant, which was issued for stimulant drugs but used to confiscate cannabis, calling it “grossly inappropriate” and noting that “there was a disregard for the principle of warrant issuance.”
The ruling also questioned the actions of the Nagoya District Court judge who approved the warrant, stating that the scope of the seizure was too broad and could have allowed the confiscation of unrelated controlled substances. The court concluded that “there were problems with issuing such a warrant.”
In addition, the court found that the police stop-and-search and on-the-spot arrest procedures were also illegal. The Nagoya High Public Prosecutors Office announced on October 23rd that it would not appeal the ruling, citing “no lawful reason to contest the decision.” Aichi Prefectural Police said they would “sincerely accept the ruling and take measures to prevent similar issues in future investigations.”
Source: Nagoya TV News
