Member of the Diet - KOKKAIGIIN

Japanese: 国会議員 - こっかいぎいん

A member of the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors, both of whom are elected by the public and participate in the activities of the House as representatives of the entire nation. The term "representative" is a colloquial term used only for members of the House of Representatives. Because Diet members represent the entire nation, they are not agents of a specific region, class, or occupation, and are completely independent and not bound by any person's instructions (prohibition of compulsory delegation). However, politically, they are subject to the control of the political party to which they belong.

(1) Members of the House of Representatives: Term of office: 4 years (except in the case of dissolution)
Legal basis: Article 45 of the Constitution; Number of seats: 465 (289 elected from single-seat constituencies, 176 elected from proportional representation)
Legal basis: Article 43, paragraph 2 of the Constitution, Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Public Offices Election Act ・Right to vote: 18 years of age or older Legal basis: Article 9 of the Public Offices Election Act ・Right to be elected: 25 years of age or older Legal basis: Article 44 of the Constitution, Article 10, paragraph 1, item 1 of the Public Offices Election Act

(2) Members of the House of Councillors: Term of office: 6 years. Half of the members are up for election every 3 years. Legal basis: Article 46 of the Constitution. Number of seats: 248 (100 of which are proportional representation representatives and 148 are constituency representatives).
Legal basis...Article 43, paragraph 2 of the Constitution; Public Offices Election Act, Article 4, paragraph 2 - Right to vote - anyone over 18 years of age Legal basis...Article 9 of the Public Offices Election Act - Right to be elected - anyone over 30 years of age Legal basis...Article 44 of the Constitution; Article 10, paragraph 1, item 2 of the Public Offices Election Act In order to gain status as a member of the Diet, one must be elected, and one can lose their status due to the expiration of the term, dissolution (only for members of the House of Representatives), expulsion (a severe punishment required by a majority vote of more than two-thirds of the members present), resignation, disqualification due to a qualification dispute or an election dispute, etc.

[Masaaki Ikeda]

The Act to Partially Amend the Public Offices Election Act (Act No. 43 of 2015), enacted in June 2015, changed the voting age for public office elections from 20 years old to 18 years old. The revised law went into effect on June 19, 2016.

[Editorial Department]

Privileges

Diet members enjoy certain privileges (privileges) so that they can fully fulfill their duties. First, to allow them to freely carry out their activities as Diet members, they cannot be held responsible outside the Diet for their statements or votes (Article 51 of the Constitution). This is called the privilege of immunity from liability. Second, to prevent the abuse of state power from interfering with Diet members' duties, Diet members cannot be arrested during a Diet session except in the event of the commission of a crime outside the Diet, and anyone arrested before a Diet session must be released during the session if requested by the House (Article 50 of the Constitution). Third, Diet members are provided with various allowances, such as annual salary, travel expenses, free JR train tickets, communication allowances, and retirement benefits, as well as benefits such as an office, secretary, and use of the National Diet Library.

[Masaaki Ikeda]

Duties and powers

As members of the Diet and as members of at least one standing committee, members have the power to participate in the activities of their respective Houses, including the right to propose bills and motions (the House of Representatives requires the support of at least 20 members, the House of Councillors requires the support of at least 10 members), the right to ask questions (in writing, with the approval of the Speaker, the Cabinet) and to ask questions (orally to the proposer or a Minister of State to clarify doubts about the item under discussion), the right to debate and vote, and the right to participate in the composition of the Impeachment Court.

Diet members are obligated to attend meetings or committees. When attending, they must not disrupt order in the Diet or damage the dignity of the Diet, and must not use impolite language in the Diet. If they violate these rules, they will be subject to disciplinary procedures at the Diet member's discretion, which may include making an apology in an open Diet session, suspending attendance for a certain period of time, or expulsion.

[Masaaki Ikeda]

[Reference] | Diet member privileges | Diet |House of Councillors | House of Representatives

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

衆議院、参議院の議員で、いずれも公選された全国民の代表として議院の活動に参加する者をいう。なお、代議士というのは衆議院議員だけについての俗称である。国会議員は全国民を代表するから、特定の地方、階級、職業などの代理人ではなく、完全に独立であり、なんぴとの指令にも拘束されない（強制委任の禁止という）。ただ、政治的にはその属する政党の統制を受ける。

（1）衆議院議員
・任期―4年（解散の場合を除く）
　　根拠法…憲法45条
・定数―465人（内289人は小選挙区選出議員、176人は比例代表選出議員）
　　根拠法…憲法43条2項、公職選挙法4条1項
・選挙権―満18年以上の者
　　根拠法…公職選挙法9条
・被選挙権―満25年以上の者
　　根拠法…憲法44条、公職選挙法10条1項1号

（2）参議院議員
・任期―6年。3年ごとに半数改選
　　根拠法…憲法46条
・定数―248人（内100人は比例代表選出議員、148人は選挙区選出議員）
　　根拠法…憲法43条2項、公職選挙法4条2項
・選挙権―満18年以上の者
　　根拠法…公職選挙法9条
・被選挙権―満30年以上の者
　　根拠法…憲法44条、公職選挙法10条1項2号
　国会議員の地位を得るには、かならず選挙によらなければならず、また任期の満了、解散（衆議院議員だけ）、除名（重い懲罰で出席議員の3分の2以上の多数決による）、辞職、資格争訟および選挙争訟による失格などによって、その地位を失う。

［池田政章］

　2015年（平成27）6月に成立した「公職選挙法等の一部を改正する法律」（平成27年法律第43号）により、公職の選挙の選挙権を有する者の年齢について、満20年以上から満18年以上に改められた。改正法の施行は2016年6月19日。

［編集部］

特権

議員はその職責を十分に果たすことのできるよう、一定の特権（特典）を有する。まず、議員としての活動を自由に行いうるよう、その発言、表決について院外で責任を問われることがない（憲法51条）。これを免責特権という。次に、国家権力の濫用によって議員の職務が妨害されることを防ぐために、議員は院外における現行犯罪の場合を除いては国会の会期中に逮捕されず、会期前に逮捕された者も、その議院の要求があれば、会期中これを釈放しなければならない（憲法50条）。これを不逮捕特権という。第三に、国会議員は、歳費、旅費、JR無料乗車券、通信手当、退職金などの諸手当の提供を受けるほか、事務室、秘書、国会図書館利用などの便益を提供される。

［池田政章］

義務と権能

国会議員は議院の一員として、また少なくとも一個の常任委員となり、それぞれの議院の活動に参加する権能をもつ。それには、議案・動議の発議権（衆議院は20人以上、参議院は10人以上の賛成が必要）、質問（議長の承認を得て内閣に対し、文書により行う）および質疑（議題となっている案件について疑点を明らかにするため口頭で発議者・国務大臣などに行う）の権、討論および表決の権、弾劾裁判所の構成に参加する権などがある。

　国会議員は、会議または委員会に出席する義務を有する。その場合、議場の秩序を乱したり、議院の品位を傷つけてはならないし、議院で無礼の言を用いたりしてはならない。このような規律に違反した場合は、議員の自治的な懲罰手続に付せられて、公開議場における陳謝、一定期間の登院停止、除名の処分が行われる。

［池田政章］

[参照項目] | 議員特権 | 国会 | 参議院 | 衆議院

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