Instruction - Kunrei

An order issued by a higher administrative agency to instruct a lower administrative agency on the exercise of its authority. In addition to cases where there is a legal basis (Article 14, Paragraph 2 of the National Administrative Organization Act), even if there is no legal basis, it is naturally recognized based on the principle of unity and hierarchy of administrative organizations. Instructions are becoming more necessary as administrative organizations have become complex and vast, and administrative content has become specialized. Instructions come in the form of orders and notices. There is a theory that distinguishes between instructions and notices, but the practical benefit of the distinction is not recognized, and in practice, the distinction is not made very often. Instructions are binding within administrative organizations. Even if an instruction is illegal, it has traditionally been believed that it binds lower administrative agencies as long as it is not invalid. It does not have a direct binding effect on the public, but administrative actions that violate instructions are not illegal by default. Note that work orders are also orders within administrative organizations, but they differ from instructions in that they are orders from superiors to individual civil servants who are subordinates.

[Yasuhito Abe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

上級行政機関が下級行政機関に対してその権限の行使を指図すべく発する命令。根拠規定がある場合（国家行政組織法14条2項）のほか、根拠規定がなくとも行政組織の一体性、階層性の原則上当然に認められている。訓令は、行政組織が複雑膨大となり、かつ行政内容が専門技術化したため、ますます必要となっている。訓令の形式は命令、通達などである。訓令と通達を区別する説もあるが、区別の実益は認められないし、実際上もあまり区別されていない。訓令は行政組織の内部で拘束力をもつ。違法な訓令でも、無効でない限り下級行政庁を拘束するというのが従来の通説である。国民に対しては直接の拘束力は有しないかわりに、訓令に違反した行政行為も当然には違法にならない。なお、職務命令は同じく行政組織内部の命令であるが、上司から部下である公務員個人に対する命令である点で、訓令と異なる。

［阿部泰隆］

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