Attack and defense methods

In civil litigation, the statements made by the plaintiff to justify and justify his/her claim are called attack methods, while the statements made by the defendant to justify refusing the plaintiff's claim or asserting a lack of litigation grounds are called defense methods. These are collectively called attack and defense methods. Their contents are divided into those related to procedural law (the method and effect of the litigation procedure) and those related to the merits of the case (the rights and obligations at issue in the litigation). They can also be classified into legal arguments, factual arguments, and evidence submissions. For example, taking the example of a claim for the return of a loan, the merits of the case include the plaintiff's tactics of attack, such as asserting the formation of a consumer loan contract and the existence of a loan claim (facts on which the claim is based), denying claims of payment, expiration of the prescription, and set-off (facts on which the defense is based), and asserting the existence of facts on which the prescription has been interrupted (subsequent defense), while the defendant's tactics of defense include asserting that the contract is not formed or is invalid (denial of facts on which the claim is based), asserting payment, expiration of the prescription, and set-off (facts on which the defense is based), denying subsequent defense, and the presentation of evidence to prove the facts asserted by each side.

In principle, the parties to a lawsuit may submit allegations and defenses up until the conclusion of oral argument, but these must be submitted at an appropriate time depending on the progress of the lawsuit (Civil Procedure Act, Article 156), and allegations and defenses submitted out of time may be dismissed (Civil Procedure Act, Article 157).

[Yoshinobu Homma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

民事訴訟で原告が自己の請求を根拠づけ、理由づけるためにする陳述を攻撃方法、被告が原告の請求を排斥し、あるいは訴訟要件の欠缺(けんけつ)を主張するときにこれを理由づけるためにする陳述を防御方法といい、これらを総称して攻撃防御方法という。その内容としては、訴訟法上の事項に関するもの（訴訟手続の方式、効力に関するもの）と、本案に関するもの（訴訟で争われる権利・義務に関するもの）がある。また、法的主張、事実の主張、証拠の申立てというようにも分類できる。たとえば、貸金返還請求を例にとって、本案に関するものをあげれば、原告側の攻撃方法として、消費貸借契約の成立、貸金債権の存在（請求原因事実）の主張、弁済・消滅時効・相殺の主張（抗弁事実）の否認、時効中断事実の存在（再抗弁）の主張など、被告側の防御方法として、前記契約の不成立・無効の主張（請求原因事実の否認）、弁済・消滅時効の成立・相殺の主張（抗弁）、再抗弁の否認など、および、それぞれの側の主張事実を証明するための証拠の申立てなどがある。

　訴訟当事者等は、原則として、口頭弁論の終結に至るまでは攻撃防御方法を提出できるが、それは訴訟の進行状況に応じ適切な時期になされることが必要で（民事訴訟法156条）、時機に後れた攻撃防御方法は却下されることがある（同法157条）。

［本間義信］

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