Correlation of criminal low documents and process of formation legal concept in the Shogunate and Domain System

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01250
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05010:Legal theory and history-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: YASUTAKA HIROAKI 熊本大学, 大学院人文社会科学研究部(文), 准教授 (30548889)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 熊本藩 / 刑法草書 / 徒刑 / 人足寄場 / 公事方御定書

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project examines the influence that the Kumamoto Domain's Criminal Code's(KEIHOUSOUSYO) cursive writings had on other domains, as well as the various regions to which it was introduced in relation to penal servitude, and its impact on the establishment of labor camps(NINSOKUYOSEBA) by the shogunate.It has been confirmed that the Criminal Code Cursive was a criminal code influenced by the Chinese Ming Code, and that even after it was established and put into use, it continued to refer to the Chinese Code. The legal system of the Kumamoto domain was influenced by the Chinese legal system as well as that of the shogunate, and the same characteristics were seen in the domains that referred to and adopted it.Although the Saga Domain introduced imprisonment based on the model of the Kumamoto Domain, it was flexible in its implementation. This characteristic can also be seen in the Tokugawa Shogunate's labor camps and the Tokugawa Shogunate's Nagasaki Tamero.

Free Research Field

歴史学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

幕藩体制の法概念の前提となる刑法典は、幕府法の範疇にありながら藩独自で立法化されていた。それは、幕府法に傾倒する意向が強いもの、中国法のものとに分類することができるが、両者を分断するものではない。熊本藩を事例にみれば両者を取りれつつ運用がなされ法概念が形成されていた。それは徒刑をみても明らかで、これを取り入れた幕府や諸藩にも同様の傾向にあった。しかし近代行刑の先駆的な刑罰とされる徒刑も「仁政」を元にしている以上、近世的要素を排除しきれず、運用には課題を残すことになった。こうした歴史的研究による成果を通じて、今後の日本法制のあるべき姿を模索することができる材料を提示することができた。