Japan’s Supreme Court refuses damages to visually impaired couple over police entry

The Supreme Court’s Third Petty Bench, presided over by Justice Masami Okino, has rejected an appeal by a visually impaired couple who sued Kanagawa Prefecture for damages, arguing that police officers who responded to an emergency call unlawfully entered their home without their consent. The decision was dated the 26th. The ruling by the Tokyo High Court, which had rejected the couple’s claim, is now final. The High Court found that the couple had consented to the officers entering their home and overturned a March 2024 ruling by the Yokohama District Court, which had ordered the prefecture to pay the couple ¥275,000 in damages. Episode notes: ‘Japan’s Supreme Court refuses damages to visually impaired couple over police entry’: https://barrierfreejapan.com/2026/08/29/japans-supreme-court-refuses-damages-to-visually-impaired-couple-over-police-entry/