Supreme Court dismisses appeal by man known as 'Himasora Akane'; compensation order finalized
In a lawsuit involving a man who operates under the name "Himasora Akane," the Supreme Court issued a decision on the 12th to dismiss the man's appeal. As a result, the second-instance ruling, which ordered the man to pay a total of 2.2 million yen in damages, has been finalized.
This case was brought by an organization seeking damages and other relief, claiming that its reputation had been harmed by the man's posts on the internet. Both the first and second-instance courts determined that the man's posts constituted defamation and issued rulings ordering him to pay damages.
Although the man appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, the First Petty Bench of the Supreme Court (presided over by Justice Toru Sakai) dismissed the appeal. Because it was determined that there were no legal grounds for the appeal, the man's arguments were not accepted.
Communication on the internet carries the responsibility of not infringing upon the rights of others. This Supreme Court decision serves as an example of how final judgments are reached when posts on social media and other platforms escalate into legal issues.