Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks at the Lower House plenary session on Dec. 6 about legislation to help those adversely affected by donations to the Unification Church. (Koichi Ueda)

Legislation to help people whose lives have been turned upside down because of huge donations to organizations is set to be passed into law before the current Diet session ends on Dec. 10 as an agreement is soon expected between the ruling coalition and opposition parties.

The bill is expected to pass both the Lower House special committee and plenary session on Dec. 8 before being sent to the Upper House.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party had wanted as many opposition parties as possible to sign onto the victims relief bill and had no intention of ramming through a vote in the Diet.

That is because public criticism had been directed at the party for the many ties between its lawmakers and the Unification Church, now formally known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

LDP lawmakers made various compromises over the past few days, winning over a number of opposition parties to their side.

The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan still wanted further revisions, but appeared satisfied with the addition that organizations would have to “sufficiently” take into consideration that they do not restrain the free will of individuals when soliciting donations.

But CDP members and experts who provided testimony at the Dec. 7 session of the Lower House Consumer Affairs Special Committee also noted that a review of the law should be conducted about a year after enactment to make its provisions as effective as possible.

Yasuo Kawai, secretary-general of the National Network of Lawyers Against Spiritual Sales, which helps people who feel they had been taken advantage of by the Unification Church, said while the legislation was not perfect, he added that was unavoidable given the short time available in putting together the new measure.

Shuichi Miyashita, a civil law professor at Chuo University in Tokyo, also said a review of the law should be conducted after enactment, but added that it was a major step forward in helping those who make donations.

Jun Azumi, the chairman of the CDP’s Diet Affairs Committee, said having a law on the books would serve as a deterrent to organizations that try to solicit large donations.

Others said even if the law was not in a complete form, it would allow for a move forward in dealing with organizations that solicit donations.

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