UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF RECIPROCITY REQUIREMENT FOR RECOGNITION AND ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN JUDGMENTS IN JAPAN

作     者：Yasuhiro OKUDA 

作者机构：Doctor of Laws Chuo University Tokyo Japan Professor Faculty of Law Chuo University Tokyo Japan 

出 版 物：《Frontiers of Law in China-Selected Publications from Chinese Universities》 (中国高等学校学术文摘·法学（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2018年第13卷第2期

页      面：159-170页

学科分类：1305[艺术学-设计学（可授艺术学、工学学位）] 0301[法学-法学] 13[艺术学] 03[法学] 08[工学] 080203[工学-机械设计及理论] 081304[工学-建筑技术科学] 030103[法学-宪法学与行政法学] 0802[工学-机械工程] 0813[工学-建筑学] 080201[工学-机械制造及其自动化] 

主　　题：foreign judgment reciprocity Japan China Germany human rights 

摘      要：This article deals with reciprocity requirement for recognition of foreign judgments in Japan. Following German law, Japanese law requires reciprocity to the rendering state in addition to the jurisdiction of the state, the service of process, and the compatibility with Japanese public policy. Although Japanese courts have rarely refused the recognition of foreign judgments for lack of reciprocity for a long time, some Chinese judgments recently have not been recognized for this reason. The author clarifies first with historical review what was the purpose of the Japanese legislator, when the original law of 1890 required the reciprocity by international treaties, and when later the reform law of 1926 required the simple reciprocity that is similarly provided in the current law. The author surveys then the Japanese case law concerning the reciprocity requirement after the reform of 1926. The author focuses further on the reciprocity between Japan and China and compares the Japanese practice with the German one that led to a different result. Last, it is concluded that the reciprocity requirement is contrary to the protection of human rights under Japanese constitution.