令和5(行ウ)9 政務活動費返還履行請求事件(住民訴訟)

In 2023, a resident of Shizuoka City filed a resident lawsuit against the mayor, alleging that a city assembly member misused political activity expense funds for inappropriate dining and personal gifts. The plaintiff demanded that the mayor exercise his duty to seek repayment from the member. The Shizuoka District Court delivered its judgment in March 2025, finding that a portion of the expenditures lacked a reasonable connection to official parliamentary activities. The court ordered the mayor to demand the return of approximately 500,000 yen from the assembly member, marking a significant judicial intervention in the oversight of political funds.

The court partially upheld the resident's claim, ordering the mayor to demand the assembly member repay roughly 500,000 yen in improperly used political activity expenses, while dismissing claims for the remainder of the expenditures.

Whether the disputed expenses fell within the legitimate scope of "inspection and research" activities under the ordinance, and whether the mayor's refusal to seek reimbursement constituted an illegal omission under the Local Autonomy Act.

The ruling triggered renewed public scrutiny and debate over the transparency of political activity expenses across Japan. Several municipalities began reviewing their expense guidelines, and citizens' groups were encouraged to use resident lawsuits as a tool for enforcing accountability in local governance.