What is Fiduciary Duty (after all) ?

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K01219
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 05060:Civil law-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Yoshiaki Kaneko 名古屋大学, 法学研究科, 教授 (80292811)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 信認義務 / 信託

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In light of the current situation in Japan, where the term 'fiduciary duty' has become widely known mainly in the financial industry, this study attempts to reaffirm the original meaning of the term fiduciary duty, with reference to discussions in England where it originated, and those in Commonwealth countries (especially Australia). As a result, complex aspects have emerged, such as the fact that fiduciaries include a wide variety of persons, that not all obligations owed by fiduciaries are fiduciary duties, and that the boundary with neighbouring doctrines, such as exercise of undue influence,is not always clear.

Free Research Field

民法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「フィデューシャリー・デューティー」の語は日本で金融業界に特化して用いられているが、信認義務という観念がもつポテンシャルからすると、それは不当に偏狭な用語法であるという他ない。代理や会社取締役など、信託と比較すれば日本法にも定着している概念を鍛え直したり、弁護士や不動産業者などが負う助言義務を信認義務の観点から整理しなおしたりすることは、有用な結果をもたらす可能性がある。