Australian military personnel could face the death penalty under a new military agreement struck between Japan and Australia, with the Australian Law Council calling on the federal government to withhold making the treaty binding until safeguards are enshrined.
The Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), which was agreed to in principle by the two countries in January, is designed to facilitate joint training and strengthening interoperability between the two countries and contribute to the peace and stability of the region.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defence, it will “facilitate the implementation of cooperative activities between the defence forces of the two countries and further promote bilateral security and defence cooperation….