Survey on the purpose of tort damages: toward constructing empirical based research on punitive damages

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13484
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05010:Legal theory and history-related
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: Mori Daisuke 熊本大学, 大学院人文社会科学研究部(法), 准教授 (40436499)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 懲罰的損害賠償 / 法と経済学 / アンケート調査 / サーベイ実験 / 利益吐き出し / 法意識 / 損害填補 / 抑止

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the study on punitive damages and disgorgement of profits, a theoretical analysis was conducted from law and economics perspectives, and a survey was also conducted. The results of the survey revealed that the general public does not envision a system in which an individual victim receives an amount of compensation that greatly exceeds the amount of his or her own damages. On the other hand, it was found that it may be acceptable for a tortfeasor to make a monetary payment to the government, taking into account the amount of profit of the tortfeasor and other factors. In the study of the necessary condition analysis of the purpose of damages, the necessary condition relationship was analyzed for the purposes of damages. The results showed that consideration of compensation for damages was a necessary condition for consideration of sanctions, deterrence, and satisfaction of retaliatory feelings.

Free Research Field

法社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

懲罰的損害賠償をはじめとする被害者個人が自身の被害額を超えるような賠償額を受け取る制度の導入の是非を議論するにあたって、日本の一般の人々が損害賠償の目的をどのように考えているかという法意識が、根拠となる資料の一つとして必要とされている。法意識の伴わない法制度は、人々によって遵守されないおそれがあるからである。本研究では、損害賠償の目的や懲罰的損害賠償をはじめとする制度についてアンケート調査を行い、得られたデータを分析することで、この法意識を明らかにする端緒となるという学術的・社会的意義がある。