Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama said she was still...

Justice Minister Mayumi Moriyama said she was still convinced that the death penalty should be retained in Japan, days after she approved the third execution of a death row inmate while she was in office. "It is our ministry's duty to implement court decisions. It is not appropriate if a justice minister changes a court ruling," she said at a regular press conference following a cabinet meeting. Moriyama, who as justice minister has authority to conduct all executions, said she would not review the current system in which the ministry declines to identify executed prisoners or where they were hanged. The death row inmates, their relatives and other people concerned are also not informed of the dates of execution, a practice criticized by human rights activists.