Tokyo CNN —In a landmark decision, Japan’s Supreme Court has ordered the government to pay damages to people who were forcibly sterilized under a now-defunct eugenics law, ruling the practice was unconstitutional and had violated their rights. About 25,000 people were sterilized without consent during that period, according to the court ruling, citing ministry data. In the fifth case, the lower court had ruled against the plaintiffs and dismissed their case, citing the 20-year statute of limitations. The Supreme Court overturned this decision on Wednesday, calling the statute “unacceptable” and “extremely contrary to the principles of justice and fairness.”The case is now sent back to the lower court to determine how much the government should pay. In a press conference after the court ruling, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed the government’s remorse and apology to victims, NHK reported.

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Persons: Wednesday’s, Yuichi Yamazaki, ”, Saburo Tokura, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Fumio Kishida Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Supreme, Getty, NHK, – Locations: Japan, Tokyo, AFP