Study on the Legal Character of Cabinet Desicion from a Perspective of Comparative Law

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03374
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public law
• Research Institution: Sophia University (2022); Kindai University (2017-2021)
• Principal Investigator: UEDA Kensuke 上智大学, 法学部, 教授 (60341046)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 閣議決定 / イギリス法 / ドイツ法 / フランス法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In terms of the subject and procedure of cabinet decisions, there are some differences between the UK and Germany and France. In the UK, the subject is not provided by code but generally decided by the PM, and decisions are delegated to the cabinet committees in many cases. In the Germany and France, what must be decided in the cabinet is provided by the Constitution and statutes. There are procedures for getting consensus between departments (and President in the case of France) prior to cabinet meetings.
In terms of ‘binding effect’ of cabinet decisions, 1. in the UK and Germany, cabinet decisions bind the actions of cabinet members outside the government (especially in the Parliament); 2. in Germany and France, cabinet decisions have the meaning that the procedures in the government which are requested by laws have been completed; 3. the binding power of cabinet decisions is relatively strict in Germany while is understood as not so strictly in the UK and France.

Free Research Field

憲法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の学術的意義は、従来、学術的には論じられることのなかった閣議決定に関し、イギリス・ドイツ・フランスにおける閣議決定の対象、手続、効力等を明らかにした点にある。閣議決定には大臣の議会での行動を拘束する意味および法令が要請する政府の手続を完了させる意味があり、閣議決定それ自体の効力の理解は国により様々であることは日本における閣議決定を考える際にも参考になる。重要な閣議事項のひとつである政府提出法案について、三か国いずれも法案提出前に国会議員と調整することが少ない点は、日本における事前審査制のあり方を批判的に再考する材料となり、この点にはとくに大きな社会的意義があると考える。