Theft - Setto Uzai

Japanese: 窃盗罪 - せっとうざい

It is a type of property crime, and is punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen (Article 235 of the Penal Code). "Theft" means taking someone else's property against their will, and while it is generally done covertly, such as in burglary, shoplifting, and pickpocketing, it can also be committed openly, such as in snatching and robbery (note that snatching can also be considered robbery). In terms of the number of reported crimes, this crime accounts for more than 50% of all Penal Code crimes, and of all theft crimes, vehicle theft (stealing of bicycles, motorcycles, and automobiles) accounts for nearly 40%.

[Tetsuro Nawa]

Protected legal interests

Regarding the protected interests of theft, there is a conflict between the theory of original rights and the theory of possession (possession theory). The former theory interprets ownership and other original rights as protected, while the latter theory considers possession, i.e., de facto control (possession), as the protected interest. Of these, the theory of original rights was the conventional theory and precedent, but reflecting the complexity and diversification of property relations regarding ownership and use, more and more people are supporting the theory of possession. In Japan, since the period of confusion after the Second World War, precedents have also taken the position of the theory of possession, and it is understood that possession not based on original rights (possession in violation of prohibitions, possession against the will of the owner, possession where the ownership is unclear, etc.) can also be protected. Therefore, according to the theory of possession, for example, even if the true owner retrieves the stolen goods from the thief, the crime of theft is established (constitutive element of the crime), but the illegality can be prevented only if it is an act of self-help (self-help). In contrast, the principle theory holds that possession not based on principle lacks the protected legal interest, and therefore the crime of theft does not exist in the first place, i.e., it does not meet the elements of the crime of theft. However, today, there is a compromise between the two theories, and the idea that the possession that is protected is not actual control (possession) itself, but "peaceful possession" and "possession with reasonable grounds" is the dominant view.

[Tetsuro Nawa]

Energy and property theft

Next, the object of this crime is another person's "property," or more specifically, property of another person in the possession of another person. However, as an exception, even one's own property can become the object of this crime if it is in the possession of another person, or is being guarded by another person by order of a public office (Article 242 of the Penal Code). This property includes not only tangible objects, but also electricity (Article 245 of the same law). However, there is a conflict between the corporeality theory and the controllability theory regarding whether energy other than electricity (air conditioning, heating, air pressure, etc.) can be considered property. The former theory denies this, but the latter theory interprets that energy can be included in property if it can be physically controlled by a meter or the like. However, there is little dispute today that rights and interests such as credits and information are not included in property. In addition, there was once a debate as to whether real estate (land, buildings, etc.) could be included in the "property" that is the object of this crime, but this was legislatively settled when the crime of real estate theft (Article 235-2 of the Penal Code), which is equivalent to real estate theft, was created in a partial amendment to the Penal Code in 1960 (Showa 35). (However, with regard to robbery of real estate, there is still a debate as to whether it constitutes property under Article 236, Paragraph 1 of the Penal Code, or benefits under Paragraph 2 of the same article.)

[Tetsuro Nawa]

Intent to take illegal possession

The crime of theft is the taking of another person's property against the will of the victim, and according to the prevailing theory and precedents, it is generally understood to require not only intent but also "the intention to take illegally" objectively, violating the possession of another person's property. According to precedents, the intention to take illegally is defined as "the intention to exclude the rightful owner and to use and dispose of another person's property as one's own in accordance with its economic use." According to this definition, the intention to take illegally is composed of (1) the intention to exclude and (2) the intention to use and dispose of. Thus, in the past, so-called "theft by use," that is, the only temporary use of another person's property without permission, lacks the intention to exclude (1), and in the case of the intention to destroy or conceal, that is, to break or hide, lacks the intention to use or dispose of (2) in accordance with its economic use, and therefore, it was considered that the infringement of possession with these intentions was not punishable. However, even in today's legal precedents and academic theories, the necessary theory (the theory that the intent to obtain illegally is necessary for the establishment of this crime) generally relaxes the requirement of the intent to obtain illegally (the unnecessary theory is also gaining ground). In other words, in the case of the intent to destroy or conceal something, destruction (including concealment, which is equivalent to destruction) is a type of disposition, and in the case of theft by use, if a car is driven for a long time and long distances, it is considered to completely prevent the use of the object, even if it is "temporary," so the intent to obtain illegally is recognized and the crime is affirmed.

[Tetsuro Nawa]

[Reference] | Property crimes | Property

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

財産犯の一種で、「他人の財物を窃取」する罪であり、10年以下の懲役または50万円以下の罰金に処せられる（刑法235条）。「窃取」とは他人の財物を意思に反して奪取することであり、たとえば、空巣、万引、すりなど、ひそかに奪取するのが一般であるが、ひったくり、かっぱらいのように公然と犯される場合もある（なお、ひったくりには強盗罪にあたる場合もある）。本罪は、犯罪認知件数からみると、全刑法犯の50％以上を占め、窃盗罪全体のなかでは、乗り物盗（自転車、オートバイ、自動車の窃盗）が40％近くを占めている。

［名和鐵郎］

保護される法益

窃盗罪の保護法益については、本権説と占有説（所持説）の対立があり、前説では所有権その他の本権が保護されると解されるのに対して、後説では、占有、すなわち事実上の支配（所持）が保護法益であるとされる。このうち、本権説が従来の通説・判例であったが、所有と利用に関する財産関係の複雑化・多様化などを反映して、占有説を支持する者が増えてきている。日本では第二次世界大戦後の混乱期を契機として、判例も占有説にたち、本権に基づかない占有（禁令に違反する占有、所有者の意思に反する占有、所有権の帰属が明らかでない占有など）も保護されうるものと解している。したがって、占有説によれば、たとえば真の所有者が窃盗犯人から盗品を取り返すような場合でも、窃盗罪が成立する（本罪の構成要件にあたる）が、自救行為（自力救済）にあたる場合に限り違法性が阻却されうる。これに対し本権説では、本権に基づかない占有は保護法益を欠くから、そもそも窃盗罪は成立しない、すなわち、窃盗罪の構成要件にもあたらないことになる。ただ、今日では、両説の間に歩み寄りがみられ、保護の対象となる占有は事実上の支配（所持）自体ではなく、「平穏な占有」、「合理的理由のある占有」であれば足りる、といった考え方が有力に主張されている。

［名和鐵郎］

エネルギーや不動産の窃盗

次に、本罪の客体は、他人の「財物」、さらにいえば他人の占有する他人の財物である。ただし例外的に、自分の財物でも他人の占有に属し、または公務所の命令により他人が看守している場合には、本罪の客体となる（刑法242条）。この財物には、有体物のほか、電気も含まれる（同法245条）。ただ、電気以外のエネルギー（冷暖気、空気圧など）が財物にあたりうるかに関して、有体性説と管理可能性説との対立があり、前説ではこれを否定するが、後説の立場からは、エネルギーもメーターなどにより物理的に管理可能であれば、財物に含まれうると解している。ただ、債権、情報など権利や利益が財物に含まれないことは、今日ではほとんど争いがない。なお、本罪の客体である「財物」に不動産（土地や建物など）が含まれうるかが、かつて争われたが、不動産窃盗に相当する不動産侵奪罪（同法235条の2）が1960年（昭和35）の刑法一部改正で新設されることにより、立法的に決着がつけられた（ただ、不動産に対する強盗については、刑法236条1項の財物にあたるか、同条2項の利益にあたるかの争いは残る）。

［名和鐵郎］

不法領得の意思

窃盗罪は、他人の占有に属する他人の財物を、被害者の意思に反して領得する罪であるから、通説、判例によれば、客観的に財物に対する他人の占有を侵害するとともに、主観的にも、故意のほか、「不法領得の意思」を要するものと一般に解されている。ここに不法領得の意思とは、判例によれば、「権利者を排して他人の物を自己の物としてその経済的用法に従い利用、処分する意思」とされている。このような定義によれば、不法領得の意思は、(1)排除の意思と(2)利用処分の意思によって構成されることになる。そこで、従来、いわゆる「使用窃盗」、すなわち、他人の財物を無断で一時的に使用するにすぎない場合は(1)の排除の意思を欠くため、また、毀棄(きき)・隠匿の目的、すなわち、壊したり、隠したりする目的の場合は、(2)の経済的用法に従い利用、処分する意思を欠くため、これらの意思で占有を侵害する場合は不可罰であるとされる。ただ、今日の判例や学説のうちの必要説（本罪の成立に、不法領得の意思を必要とする説）においても、一般的に、不法領得の意思の要件を緩和している（なお、不要説も有力になっている）。すなわち、毀棄・隠匿の目的の場合には、毀棄（毀棄にあたる隠匿を含む）が一種の処分であるとか、使用窃盗の目的についても、自動車を長時間・長距離乗り回した場合には、「一時的」ではあっても、物の利用を完全に排除するものであるとして、不法領得の意思を認めて、本罪を肯定している。

［名和鐵郎］

[参照項目] | 財産犯 | 財物

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