By Asahi Shimbun on 07/12/2016
\”… A woman in her 60s plans to sue the government over an “outdated and male-oriented” provision in the Civil Code that she says caused her daughter and grandchildren to grow up legally nonexistent in Japan. The Hyogo Prefecture woman, who said she was a victim of domestic violence, and her daughter and two grandchildren will file the damages lawsuit with the Kobe District Court as early as this month. Under the Civil Code, children are presumed to be the legitimate offspring of a married couple. However, Article 774 states that only the husband has the right to take legal action to deny paternity of a child born to his wife. The would-be plaintiffs said this provision violates the equality of sexes and other principles of the Constitution, and is the reason why the daughter and grandchildren were not included in Japan’s family register system. …\”
