Promoting early rehabilitation of SME and protection of guarantors

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03461
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Civil law
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University (2021-2022); Osaka University (2017-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Saito Yuki 北海道大学, 法学研究科, 教授 (40400072)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 民法 / 保証 / フランス法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Through an examination of the interpretive theory of the guarantor protection provisions expanded by the revision of the Civil Code in 2017, we clarified the Civil Code's protection and his limitations of management guarantors, which has played an important role in SME financing to enable SME to secure their financing possibilities and to enable the early rehabilitation of SMEs facing financial difficulties. We also analyzed the complementary relationship between the protection provided by the Civil Code and the regulation by soft law. In addition, we analyzed the protection of natural person guarantors in the French Civil Code, Consumption Code, etc., the treatment in France of natural person guarantors in insolvency proceedings of the main debtor, and legislative trends in France regarding the protection of the business operator, and clarified the characteristics of Japanese and French laws and regulations regarding individual (especially managerial) guarantors.

Free Research Field

民法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究による成果の第1点は、2017年改正後の日本民法の保証規定全体の解釈を検討し、保証人保護規定の内容と限界を明らかにした点にある。第2に、従来中小企業金融において必要性・有用性の認められてきた個人保証人の処遇の変遷を、平時および主債務者が経営難に直面した時期について、民法規定に限らず広く検討対象として、日本法とフランス法を比較分析したことにより、各国の個人保証規制の手法や内容に関する特徴を明らかにした。特に、フランス法について経済政策との関連付けをしながら包括的な研究を行った点には、比較法的に重要な意義がある。