Shareholders' Rights to Inspect Accounting Information to Directors: Comparative Law Studies for Optimal Legal System Design

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K13576
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05060:Civil law-related
• Research Institution: Kindai University
• Principal Investigator: Senzu Takashi 近畿大学, 経営学部, 准教授 (80631499)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 計算書類 / 会計帳簿 / 閲覧謄写請求権 / 業務財産（執行）検査役 / アメリカ法 / 帳簿・記録開示請求権 / イギリス法 / 検査役

Outline of Final Research Achievements

First, I examined the problems on inspect systems of financial statements and account books/materials on Japanese Companies Act with regard to the "direct" system in which shareholders obtain company information directly. After that, I examined the U.S. Corporation Law, which served as a model for the Japanese system. As a result, it became clear that American system (especially case law) had established the system for preventing information leakage to some extent, whereas Japanese law does not.
Therefore, in order to find a solution to these problems, we examined the U.K. Companies Act, which is an "indirect" system that allows lawyers, etc., who are obligated to maintain confidentiality, to conduct company investigations. It was found that the system of U.K. are less prone to information leaks and allows the exercise of very strong investigative rights at the discretion of the administrative power.

Free Research Field

商法（会社法）

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

第一に、日本法上の株主の会社情報開示請求制度それぞれの法改正を丹念に調べ、制度趣旨との整合性、また問題点を独自の視点から新たに明らかにした。第二に、それら問題点に関して、比較法的な視点から、アメリカやイギリスでどのような対応がなされているかについて、既存の研究とは違う視点から明らかにした。これらが学術的意義である。
そして、本研究に盛り込まれた新たな視点・最新の詳細な情報は、今後研究代表者及び他の研究者・実務家がこの分野の研究・文献収集を継続するにあたり依拠するに足りる質のものであり、今後同制度の解釈・立法・実務上の運用について論ずる際の基礎となりうる。これが社会的意義である。