Tokyo- Japan promulgated the controversial anti-conspiracy law on Wednesday, setting its enforcement date on July 11.

A supplementary provision of the law stipulates that it comes into force 20 days after the promulgation.

After the enforcement, the government will start work to ratify the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

The anti-conspiracy law, designed to make planning and preparations to commit terrorist attacks and other crimes punishable before they are committed, covers a total of 277 types of illegal acts, including organized murder, human trafficking and drug dealing.

The law is applicable to groups of organized criminals in principle.

There are concerns that investigating authorities may use the law arbitrarily, as the government has said people close to such groups may also be punished.

Last week, the Liberal Democratic Party-led ruling bloc resorted to an unusual measure in order to skip a committee vote so that the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament, can swiftly pass the bill into law. (Jiji Press)