The , located in Hayabusachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law. It has the power of judicial review, which allows it to determine the constitutionality of any law or official act.

History 
The modern Supreme Court was established in Article 81 of the Constitution of Japan in 1947. There was some debate among the members of the SCAP legal officers who drafted the constitution and in the Imperial Diet meeting of 1946 over the extent of the power of the judiciary, but it was overshadowed by other major questions about popular sovereignty, the role of the emperor, and the renunciation of war. Although the ratified wording in Article 81 states that court possesses the power of judicial review, a part of the court's early history involved clarifying the extent of this power. In 1948, the court declared that the constitution meant to establish the type of judicial review that was practiced in the United States. In 1952, the power was clarified to apply only in cases with a concrete case.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Supreme Court experienced a "judicial crisis" between older judges and generally younger, liberal judges. For example, there was controversy when some judges in lower courts were seen as frustrating the implementation of ordinances that would limit anti-government demonstrations. In 1971, the Supreme Court deliberately did not reappoint assistant judge Yasauaki Miyamoto, who participated in a legal organization associated with left-wing ideological leanings. This "Miyamoto Affair" resulted in significant media coverage and protest by other judges. Since then, no judge has failed to be reappointed. Ultimately, the court was reshaped during the 1960s and 1970s to become more conservative, with more representation among the justices from lifetime government employees, which resulted in decisions that tended to limit free expression and public demonstration.

Powers and responsibilities 
Article 81 of the Constitution of Japan defines the Supreme Court as a court of last resort and allows it to conduct judicial review through "the power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation or official act". In its first role as a court of last resort, the Supreme Court hears civil, administrative and criminal cases appealed from lower courts. This responsibility and the inability to apply discretion in the appeals it hears results in civil and criminal appeals being a significant majority of its caseload. In its second role, the Supreme Court can exercise its power of judicial review when a concrete legal dispute involving a violation or misinterpretation of the constitution is appealed.

The Supreme Court also manages the operation, budget, and personnel of all of Japan's courts. Decisions are made by a regular Conference of the Justices in the Supreme Court and implemented by the Administration Bureau of the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, through the office of the General Secretariat, also has extensive control over judicial personnel, including judges. This includes the ability to determine posts of judges, which has a significant impact on their careers and advancement opportunities. The Supreme Court also oversees the Legal Research and Training Institute, which prospective legal professionals who have passed the National Bar Examination are required to attend to receive practical training.

Use of judicial review 
Although the Supreme Court has established the power to strike down legislation that is unconstitutional, it has used this power extremely infrequently. By a simple numerical count, the Supreme Court struck down only eight laws on constitutional grounds over a period of six decades, during which the German Federal Constitutional Court struck down over 600, the United States Supreme Court over 900, and the  Indian Supreme Court over 2600. Furthermore, in at least one case where a constitutional violation was found, regarding election district apportionment, the court has been unable to achieve compliance with its ruling.

Observers have proposed several possible reasons for this. One critical view is that the membership of the Supreme Court is influenced by the political dominance of the LDP, and therefore is less likely to challenge legislation produced by aligned politicians in the National Diet. There could also be the desire to maintain good relationships with judges in the Ministry of Justice or other departments. Another critical view is that the court functions like a bureaucracy, with a conservative leadership promoting like-minded judges that less likely to make significant decisions. A historical perspective argues that the early judges were influenced by a Meiji Constitution and German jurisprudence tradition that did not allow striking down unconstitutional legislation, and that over time this expectation resulted in a reluctance to act in politically sensitive cases to maintain judicial independence.

One more favorable explanation is the role of the Cabinet Legislation Bureau in the legal ecosystem. The bureau is composed of senior bureaucrats and a minority of judges, some of whom go on to join the Supreme Court. It has the responsibility of thoroughly investigating government legislation to avoid constitutional flaws. Proponents of this view argue that this process prevents the need for the Supreme Court to frequently strike down legislation, as violations of the constitution are removed during the legislative phase.

Composition 

The composition of the Supreme Court is defined by the 1947 Judiciary Act. The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and 14 other Justices. These Justices are divided into three Petty Benches of five, which adjudicate most appeals. Questions of constitutional interpretation are adjudicated by the Grand Bench of all 15 Justices, of which nine are needed for a quorum.

Associate Justices of the Supreme Court are both selected and appointed by the Cabinet of Japan, but the Chief Justice differs in being appointed by the Emperor of Japan. Justices are required to be over the age of forty and possess an extensive knowledge of the law. Unlike in other countries, Supreme Court judges in Japan are subject to retention elections, held concurrently with the first general election after their appointment. A judge is removed from office if a majority votes against them, but a Supreme Court Justice has never been dismissed in this way. Although a public review is stipulated to occur every ten years after appointment, since Justices are generally appointed at age sixty or older and must retire at age seventy, there are effectively no "second reviews."

Particular to the Supreme Court of Japan is the uncodified custom of having seats of the court be allocated to different legal professions: career judges, private attorneys, prosecutors, academics and bureaucrats. The numbers for each group have been subject to some variation, but overall have been remarkably stable since the court's inception.

Facility 
The modern Supreme Court was first convened in May 1947 in the former Privy Council quarters of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. It moved to the Tokyo District Court building in September of that year. It was intended to occupy the building of the Supreme Court of Judicature, the previous highest court during the Imperial Japan era, but the building was largely destroyed in the war and had to be rebuilt. In October 1949, this reconstruction was completed and the Supreme Court of Japan would use the building for twenty-five years.

In 1964, a plan for a new Supreme Court building was created. It was decided that the building should be created in a modern style, and that the design be selected through a public contest. Of 217 submissions, one submitted through a joint effort of 17 people including architect Shinichi Okada was chosen. Construction began in 1971 and concluded in 1974. The new and now current Supreme Court building is located at 4-2 Hayabusa-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. It is of steel-reinforced concrete construction, and makes ample use of Japanese white granite, just as the previous Supreme Court building did. There are five floors above ground and two floors below ground.

Justices

The current justices are:

See also
Chief Justice of Japan
Japanese law
Judicial system of Japan
List of justices of the Supreme Court of Japan
Politics of Japan

References

Further reading
 Hiroshi Itoh. The Supreme Court and Benign Elite Democracy in Japan. London: Routledge, 2010.

External links
Supreme Court of Japan
Justices of the supreme court / Former Justices 

 
Japan
Japan
1947 establishments in Japan
Courts and tribunals established in 1947
최고재판소(, Supreme Court of Japan)는 일본의 사법부를 총괄하는 최고의 사법기관으로, 최고재판소의 판단이 최종적인 결정이 되므로 헌법의 수호자로 불린다. 일본국 헌법의 규정에 근거하여 존재하며, 재판소법에 따라 구성된다. 약칭은 최고재().

청사는 도쿄도 지요다구에 위치하고 있는데, 청사는 건축가 오카다 신이치에 의해 설계되어 일본건축학회상을 수상한 바 있다.

연혁 
 1875년(메이지 8년) - 사법성 재판소를 대신하여 대심원이 설립.
 1890년(메이지 23년) - 재판소구성법(메이지 23년 법률 제6호)이 제정되어, 대심원의 밑에 공소원(控訴院)이나 지방재판소, 구재판소가 설치.
 1947년(쇼와 22년) - 일본국 헌법과 재판소법(쇼와 22년 법률 제59호)의 시행에 따라 대심원이 폐지되고 최고재판소가 설치.

구성과 조직 

최고재판소는 최고재판소장관과 15명의 최고재판소 재판관으로 구성된다. 최고재 장관은 내각의 지명에 기초하여 천황에 의해 임명된다. 재판관은 내각이 임명하고, 천황이 이를 인증한다. 정년은 70세이다.

각 재판관은 임명 이후에 처음으로 시행되는 중의원 총선거 시에 최고재판소 재판관 국민심사를 거치며, 이후 10년마다 국민심사를 거친다(일본국 헌법 제79조 제2항). 심사는 파면을 원하는 재판관의 이름에 ‘×’를 기재하는 식으로 투표한다.

최고재 재판관의 보수는 재임중 감액할 수 없다고 헌법이 정하고 있다(헌법 제79조 제6항 제2문). 이에 대해 공무원 가운데 최고재 재판관만의 보수를 삭감하는 것은 위헌이라는 견해와, 국가 재정상의 이유로 공무원 전체와 함께 일반적인 보수에 관한 법률을 개정하여 재임 중의 재판관의 보수를 감액하는 것은 ‘사법권의 독립이나 재판관의 신분보장에 대한 침해에 이르지 않은 합헌’이라는 견해에 따라 2002년에 재판관의 보수 등에 관한 법률의 개정을 통해 일본 헌정사상 처음으로 재임중의 감액이 이루어졌다.

최고재는 재판 사무에 대하여 최상위의 재판소일 뿐만 아니라, 하급재판소를 통괄하는 사법행정의 영역의 장으로도 활동하고 있으며, 또한 재판소의 소송 절차나 사법 사무 처리에 관한 사항에 대하여 규칙(최고재판소 규칙)을 제정할 수 있다.

최고재의 사법행정권 및 규칙제정권은 최고재판소 재판관회의의 의결에 의하여 행사할 수 있으며, 이를 보좌하고 최고재판소의 서무를 수행하기 위하여 최고재판소 사무총국이 설치되어 있다. 또한 법조인을 양성하는 사법연수소 또한 사법행정의 영역에 속하는 최고재의 부속기관이다.

권한 
최고재판소는 상고 및 소송법에서 특별히 정하는 항고에 대하여 최종적 판단(종심)을 수행하는 권한을 가진다.

최고재의 가장 중요한 기능으로 상고사건에 대하여 법령의 해석을 통일하는 것과 함께 헌법 위반이 우려되는 법령 등에 대하여 최종적인 헌법판단을 내리는(위헌심사제) 것(헌법 제81조를 참조)이 있다.

또한 최고재는 사법권에 관한 사항에 대하여 규칙을 제정할 권리, 사법행정권, 하급 재판소의 재판관 지명권 등을 가진다.

최고재판소 고유의 특징 
 최고재판소 조사관 제도가 있다.
 최고재판소에서는 하급재판소에서 특정 분야의 사건만을 다루는 재판소 조사관이, 모든 사건을 다루기 위해 민·형사, 행정의 각 분야로 나뉘어 설치되어 있다. 조사관은 상고된 재판의 기록을 읽고, 최고재판소 판사에게 답신하는 것을 직무로 한다. 최고재는 재판관이 15명으로 적기 때문에, 조사관은 그 인적 자원을 보충하는 효과를 갖지만, 법률에 의하여 최고재에의 상고가 제한되거나 실질적인 심리를 행할 필요가 없는 사건을 분류하고, 신속하게 기각할 수 있도록 하는 역할을 하고 있다. 이에 따라 최고재 재판관이 아닌 조사관에 의해 상고심이 수행된다는 비판이 가해질 수 있다.
 개별의견이 표시된다.
 최고재판소의 판결문에서는 판결이 된 다수의견뿐만 아니라, 재판관 각각의 개별의견을 표시할 수 있다. 일반적으로 개별의견은 다음과 같다.
보충의견(補足意見)은 다수의견에는 찬성하지만, 의견을 보충하는 것.
의견(意見)은 다수의견과 결론이 같지만, 이유가 다른 것.
반대의견(反対意見)은 다수의견과 다른 의견을 말한다.
또한 추가반대의견(追加反対意見)은 반대의견을 보충하는 것이다.

이 외에도 하급 재판소와 달리 재판소법에서 “도쿄도에 이를 둔다.”고 하여 소재지가 규정되어 있다.

같이 보기 
 일본국 정부
 입법부
 국회
 참의원
 중의원
 행정부
 일본 내각
 내각총리대신
 국무대신
 사법부
 일본의 재판소
 일본 고등재판소
 일본 지방재판소

참고 문헌 
 야마모토 유지(山本祐司), 《(일본) 최고재판소 이야기》(最高裁物語), 닛폰효론샤, 1994년(한국어판은 2005년).
 노무라 지로(野村二郎), 《최고재 전 재판관》(最高裁全裁判官), 산세이도, 1986년.

각주

외부 링크 
 최고재판소
 최고재판소의 재판관
 최고재판소 최근 판례집

지요다구
최고재판소
도쿄도 소재의 관공서
나라별 최고법원