A Japanese Justice Ministry panel has come out with a draft set of proposals that allow a joint custody system for shared parental rights after a divorce.

The panel presented on Tuesday the proposals to revise the current system of single-parent custody.

The draft says a married couple is responsible for bringing up children after a divorce, and it's possible for both the father and the mother to jointly have custody.

But the draft says that as an exception, either the father or the mother could have sole custody if children face violence or abuse.

The draft also suggests the introduction of a mandatory child support payment system under which a certain amount of expenses could be claimed after a divorce without prior arrangements.

The Justice Ministry says the panel members approved the draft for the most part at Tuesday's meeting.

The panel plans to draw up a final draft outline by the end of this year.