Japan’s government failed to prevent workers from being exposed to harmful asbestos and is responsible for the diseases that resulted, the country’s Supreme Court has ruled.
The court handed down the decision in two suits filed by former asbestos mill workers in southern Osaka Prefecture and their bereaved families, a report in the Japan Times notes. The decision is expected to affect similar asbestos damages suits pending across the nation.
The court held the state liable for ¥330 million (£1.93bn) in compensation relating to two suits filed by plaintiffs including 55 asbestos patients, some of whom have died. The plaintiffs had claimed that the government delayed implementing asbestos control measures, contributing to the former workers developing asbestos-related diseases.
Outside the court, plaintiffs and their supporters erupted in joy when they heard the ruling. “This is a huge step forward,” one man said through a megaphone. “I’m sure this will give ammunition to future anti-asbestos movements like ours.”