Takayama city ordered to compensate Aum members

Kyodo News in Japan Today/July 1, 2003

Tokyo -- The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a lower court ruling that the city of Takayama in Gifu Prefecture pay 200,000 yen in compensation to four Aum Shinrikyo members for illegally rejecting their residency registration applications in February last year.

The top court concluded last week that municipalities are required to accept such applications, saying a resident registry forms the basis of administrative procedures, such as the electoral roll, by maintaining accurate records of residents' data.