TOKYO: The Diet, Japan’s parliament, began deliberations Thursday on a bill aimed at introducing in the country a system to allow divorced parents to share custody of their children.

The bill to revise the Civil Code is specifically designed to allow divorced parents to choose either joint or sole custody after discussions, as either of such parents is currently granted custody.

If the bill is enacted during the ongoing Diet session, the joint custody system is expected to be introduced by 2026.

“It is important for parents to be involved in the upbringing of their children in an appropriate manner to fulfill their responsibilities, even after divorce,” Justice Minister KOIZUMI Ryuji said at a plenary meeting of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet.

If parents fail to reach an agreement on custody after their breakup, a family court will decide to grant it to both or one of them.

Sole custody would be granted under such “emergency circumstances” as domestic violence and child abuse.

JIJI Press