The Science Council of Japan, the country's leading academic body, has called on the government to refrain from submitting a bill to revise the process for selecting the group's members.

The government has been reviewing the body's organization and aims to submit a bill to revise a related law to the Diet during its current session.

This comes after former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide refused to appoint six nominees to the council in 2020.

The government intends to establish an advisory committee to provide opinions on selecting council members. Government officials explained the plan at a general meeting of the council on Monday.

They said selecting advisory committee members will be discussed by three people, including the head of the council and an expert from a government forum on science, technology and innovation. They also said members will be appointed by the council head, with no intervention by the government.

But some council members expressed opposition to the plan, saying the government could affect related decisions.

The council discussed the explanation on Tuesday and issued a recommendation to the government and a public statement.

The recommendation says the government should refrain from submitting the bill during the current Diet session. It calls for setting up an open forum on a comprehensive and fundamental review of Japan's academic system, including the council's organization.

Council President Kajita Takaaki said he hopes the government takes the recommendation seriously and that future developments do not go in a direction that raises concerns in the body.

He added that the council plans to hand a letter of recommendation to Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

The public statement says a revision could undermine the council's independence, and that researchers in and outside Japan share that concern.

The statement also says diverse views of academia that develops independent of the government and other powers will enrich the understanding of society and the world.

It also says a revision could damage Japan's international reputation and trust in the country, and lead to a decline in its research capabilities.

The statement adds that such a move should not be the beginning of the end for Japan's academia.