Japan Panel Proposes Letting Divorced Parents Hold Joint Custody

  • Japan the only G7 nation not recognizing legal joint custody
  • Critics say changes could be problematic in cases of abuse
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A panel at Japan’s Ministry of Justice proposed allowing divorced couples to take joint custody of their child, a move that would put the country in line with other developed countries in letting parents share responsibilities after separating.

The ministry’s subcommittee on family law submitted a draft plan on Tuesday that says “either the father or mother, or both, shall have custody” of the child.