Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa has rebuffed criticism...

Justice Minister Toshio Ogawa has rebuffed criticism for carrying out executions after aborting a study meeting over whether to abolish the death penalty system in Japan. At a press conference, Ogawa rebutted criticism by former Justice Minister Hideo Hiraoka, saying, "The study meeting itself hadn't been intended to draw a conclusion. The justice minister is required by law to carry out executions." "Members of the study meeting were sharply divided over whether to abolish the death penalty or to continue it, and it was unlikely they could reach a consensus. That's why I discontinued the meeting," Ogawa said, adding, "I have no intention of withholding from carrying out executions because there are various opinions on the issue." At a symposium on April 18, former Justice Minister Hiraoka lambasted the suspension of the study meeting, saying, "No judgment (on capital punishment) was presented in a report produced by the study meeting. It is very regrettable that the meeting was called off without any prospect of achieving the goal of national debate." Hiraoka had withheld from carrying out executions during his four-month tenure as justice minister. The study meeting was initiated in 2010 by then Justice Minister Keiko Chiba and had been sustained by successive justice ministers. Ogawa has earlier suggested holding a private meeting between the justice minister, the senior vice minister of justice and the parliamentary secretary of justice over the death penalty system, including execution methods and whether to notify death-row inmates of their execution dates in advance.