Unconstitutional Legislation Review System

Japanese: 違憲立法審査制度 - いけんりっぽうしんさせいど

A system that gives the courts the power to examine whether the acts of various state organs, including legislative acts, are in accordance with the Constitution and to declare them invalid if they are unconstitutional. It is also called the judicial review system or statutory review system. It is one of the constitutional protection systems established to prevent the Constitution, the highest law of the nation, from being violated by state organs, and by granting the courts the power to review unconstitutional legislation (the power to review statutes), it makes the courts the guardians of the Constitution. The Constitution of Japan makes clear the existence of this system in Article 81, which states, "The Supreme Court is the court of final appeal with the power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation or official act."

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

立法行為をはじめとする国家の諸機関の行為について，それが憲法に適合するか否かを審査し，違憲の場合にはその行為を無効と宣言する権限を裁判所に与える制度。司法審査制とか法令審査制ともいう。国家の最高法規である憲法が国家機関によって侵害されるのを防ぐために設けられる憲法保障の制度の一つであり，違憲立法審査権(法令審査権)を裁判所に与えることにより，裁判所を憲法の番人たらしめる。日本国憲法は，その81条で，〈最高裁判所は，一切の法律，命令，規則又は処分が憲法に適合するかしないかを決定する権限を有する終審裁判所である〉と定め，この制度の存在を明らかにしている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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